Custard apple Basundi/ Ramphal or Seethaphal Basundi/ Sugar apple Basundi

Basundi is a milk based sweet dish popular in Maharashtra, Gujarat. This is usually made with basic ingredients such as Milk (base), Sugar, Spices (Saffron/ cardamom), Nuts (Pista, cashew, almonds). Milk is boiled till it reduces to the half of initial measure to get the condensed milk which is sweetened with sugar & enriched with the flavor of spices and the texture the nuts. In a way it’s a variant of kheer, where milk is combined with another main ingredient such as rice/ vermicelli etc.. along with sweetener of choice. Basundi has milk alone as main ingredient.

Here I am sharing Basundi recipe enriched with the goodness of Sitaphal/Ramphal. These fruits are currently available in the market as it is the season. I used homegrown Ramphal (wild soursop/ Annona reticulata) to make this delicious dessert which was liked by my family. You can use sugar apple/ sweetsop too in this recipe.

Preparation time: 2-3 hours which includes refrigeration time

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Milk (full fat) – ½ liter

Custard apple (sitaphal/ramphal) – 1 cup deseeded (1 large fruit/ 2 medium)

Sugar – ¼ cup, as desired

Saffron – a pinch soaked in warm milk

Chopped & roasted nuts (Cashews, almonds & pista) – 2-3 tbsp

Arrowroot powder/ Eend (Kitul/ Caryota urens) flour/ sago starch  – 1 tsp (optional)

Method:

• Take milk in a thick bottomed vessel, bring to boil on low-medium flame. Keep stirring while boiling to avoid the formation of the cream layer.
• Scrape the sides of the vessel while boiling the milk, boil until it reduces to half the initial measure or little more.
• Add sugar, saffron and continue to boil for another 15 minutes
• Meanwhile prepare the slurry of arrowroot/ eend (kitul) powder by dissolving it in 2-3 tbsp of water. To fasten the process of thickening milk, optionally you can add this. I used eend powder while making this Basundi.
• When the sweetened milk is condensed & comes to thicker consistency as required, switch off the stove. This milk should be of thicker consistency and not too runny.
• Allow cooling.
• Meanwhile, keep the custard apple pulp ready removing the seeds. You can use a mixer or vegetable chopper to remove the seeds. Quickly churn & separate the seeds from the fruit pulp. Pulp need not be very smooth; few chunks are good to have.
• Add the fruit pulp to the cooled milk (room temperature), mix well.
• Add roasted, chopped nuts and mix well.
• Refrigerate it for an hour or two (until chilled).
• Serve chilled basundi with additionally topped nuts.

Notes:

• Basundi can be prepared without custard apple too.
• Optionally 1 tin of milkmaid can be used to speed up the making process with enhanced taste.