Some of my favorite things about The Secret Recipe Club is getting to discover new food blogs, getting to know new people who share some of the same interests as myself, and perhaps my most favorite is being introduced to new foods from other cultures.
This month I was assigned to The Big Sweet Tooth blog. The brainchild behind the food, recipes and writing is Rafeeda. Rafeeda is a wife, a mother of 2 sweet and feisty girls, who pours her heart and soul into the food she prepares for her family. She features a plethora of recipes on her blog from some desserts featuring the all-time favorite Nutella, to recipes that pull from her cultural background. I perused several interesting and delicious recipes before I finally settled on what I wanted to make this month.
Ultimately I decided to make basundi. Why? Well, because I’ve never heard of it let alone ever had it. So, why not? Right?
Now, I’m sure you all are thinking the same thing I did when I came across this recipe. What the heck is basundi? Well, it is a thick sweetened milk that is flavored with cardamom and/or saffron then garnished with chopped or crushed nuts. Traditional basundi is a special Indian dessert that is typically prepared during festivals in the western part of India. Typically basundi is prepared using khoya (mawa), condensed milk, cream and even evaporated milk powder. Aside from the traditional flavorings of cardamom and saffron, it can be flavored with strawberries, custard, apples, oranges and even mangos.
Since this was my first time ever experiencing this Indian treat I decided to stick to the traditional version using cardamom and saffron and sprinkling with chopped almonds. It was delicious and packed full of those fragrant spices. And, like Rafeeda said it was hard to allow to chill, so I did try it at room temperature, as well as chilled and it was amazing both ways. I can’t wait to try other flavor variations, fresh strawberries would be truly amazing!
Basundi
Ingredients:
i've never heard of basundi before, but i love trying new recipes especially for SRC posts! it sounds amazing and your photos are great. 🙂
Interesting! I've never tried Indian food before and this recipe definitely makes me want to go find and Indian restaurant right now! Great SRC recipe!
First of all, thank you for the high words… I am humbled… and what a choice that you have taken! Basundi is a little bowl of heaven for all the hard work of waiting for it… Yours looks absolutely creamy!
I love that you picked this recipe. I've never heard of it, either, but it sounds quite tasty!
that sounds interesting. it's fun trying recipes that stretch us a little and aren't something we would typically have. Great choice