Making traditional rabdi/ rabri at home without condensed milk and khoya was in my long time pending list. Rabdi is basically a North Indian special dessert recipe prepared by boiling and reducing the milk till thick by collecting the malai(skin of milk). Its also known as lachha rabdi in Hindi.
Last year, when I prepared instant Malpua, I tried instant rabdi recipe with condensed milk in microwave. It was so quick and easy. After that, I prepared this traditional method of making rabdi for Krishna jayanthi to post under North Indian Krishna Janmashtami special recipes. Though this traditional rabdi is a time consuming process, the end result makes you forget the pain.
I have always thought rabdi and South Indian special dessert basundi are the same. But after preparing this rabri from scratch, I found there are some differences between rabdi and basundi in consistency, taste and method of preparation. Rabri is thicker than basundi. You can enjoy it warm or serve it chilled. You can enjoy eating as such or with malpua, jalebi, shahi tukda or even with gulab jamun. Tastes so good !
Ok friends, lets see how to make rabdi / rabri at home with step by step pictures and video.
Rabdi Recipe – How to make Rabri for malpua
Rabdi Recipe – How to make Rabri for malpua at home
Pour the thick, full fat milk in a wide based kadai. Boil well. When the milk starts to rise, lower the flame and let it boil. Keep a wooden ladle over the kadai diagonally. It helps to prevent spilling of milk when it boils in medium flame. While it boils, cream/skin forms on top of milk which is called as malai in Hindi / paalaadai in Tamil . Keep the flame low to medium.
Use a ladle or spoon and move the cream to the sides of kadai. Repeat the same and collect it in the sides of kadai. Do not stir the milk continuously because malai won’t form on top. So boil the milk patiently in low to medium flame such that malai keeps forming on top. But don’t forget to stir the milk occasionally till the bottom of kadai because there are chances of milk getting burnt in the bottom.
Collect the malai and deposit in the side of kadai. Milk boils and reduce in quantity. In the mean time, you can chop the nuts and set aside. Once it is reduced to 1/3rd of its quantity, add sugar, saffron threads, cardamom powder.
Mix well and boil till the sugar melts. Milk turns slightly yellow in color. When the milk is reduced to 1/4th of its quantity, switch off the flame. Scrape the malai from the sides of kadai and add to the milk. Mix well and serve. Rabri thickens as it cools down. So switch off at the right stage. Make sure its not thick.
Lastly add few drops of rose water and chopped nuts.(I din’t blanch the badam. I used it with skin). Mix well and serve warm or chilled by refrigerating it for an hour. You can serve and consume as such or serve with rabri with malpua, gulab jamun, jalebi, Imarti or with shahi tukda. Enjoy !
Note
Do not stir the milk continuously or often because it prevents the formation of cream on top of milk.
Don’t forget to stir the milk occasionally otherwise milk gets burnt in the bottom of pan.
Adjust the quantity of sugar as per your taste buds.
Do not skip rose water or use kewra essence for a nice and unique flavor to rabdi.
Do not make it too thick because rabri thickens as it cools down. So switch off the flame when its slightly thin in consistency. Adding malai makes it thick.
I din’t blanch / peel the skin of almonds/ badam. If you wish, you can do it by soaking in hot water for 30 minutes.
Try this traditional Rabdi recipe at home and enjoy !
Hello, I'm Chitra Sendhil, the writer and photographer behind this website. I started this website as a food blog in 2009 under the name "Ratatouille - Anyone Can Cook." In 2013, after purchasing my own domain, I rebranded it to "Chitra's Food Book." I am a pure vegetarian, born in Tamil Nadu, and currently residing in Bangalore, India. To learn more about me, please visit the "About Me" page. You can find all my recipes, complete with videos and step-by-step pictures, right here on my website. Mail me to chitra.ganapathy@gmail.com for your queries and feedback.
