Insatiable Basundi

It was my son Achyuth's Birthday. What shall I prepare ? I asked him. He thought for a few seconds & said " Basundi ". And Basundi it was....
Basundi - a high calorie & fat intense milk preparation. It is a rich & creamy dessert & beckons you for more. Pure indulgence of the sinful kind. It was the first choice while eating out as kids, relishing it to the last drop. Full cream milk is reduced to 50 % & garnished with sliced Almonds, pistachios , Charoli nuts & saffron strands, chilled & served.

Ingredients

Whole Cream Milk - 2 lts
Sugar - 1/2 cup approx
Saffron strands - a few
Almonds & pistachios - sliced
Charoli nuts - some
Sweet Almond essence - 1 drop , optional

Method

Take milk in a wide mouth , thick bottomed pan & evaporate the milk , stirring between to avoid scorching at the bottom.
Collect the thick layer of scum which collects on the top from time to time in another container.
Continue evaporating the milk till it reduces to 50 % of the original quantity.
Add the saffron strands & put off the fire. Add the sugar also.
Tastes good if it is mildly sweet, so be careful with the sugar.
Can add a drop of the essence when it is warm. It tastes good even without the essence.
Add in the layers of cream collected, when warm.
Drop in the sliced nuts & refrigerate . Serve cold.

Suggestions

To add more body to the dish, fresh bread crumbs of a couple of slices can be added when warm, & then chilled.
Alternately, a tsp of fine rava is toasted in a few drops of ghee & added in the final stages before taking off the fire, to get a thick consistency.
Fruit Basundi is another variation that is possible. Either mango pieces / pulp, or custard apple pulp, or apple pieces or any other seasonal fruit / tinned fruit of choice can be topped on the chilled Basundi & served.

Sending this to the Desserts cake & ice cream event, by RV & sudeshna