Rabdi – Lacha Rabri

 Rabdi, Lacha Rabri is an Indian dessert made by reducing whole milk to a thick creamy consistency with layers of cream. Rabdi is flavoured using saffron and is garnished with almonds and rose petals making a rich tasting and looking dessert. Lacha Rabri is a dessert to be had on its own but also tastes heavenly when served with Jalebi, Gulab Jamun and Vanilla Ice cream.

I love the Paneer rose that we get which is very local and has a very sweet smell to it. The name Paneer in Kannada means Sweet smell. I love the colour and use it to make Homemade Rose Water and Rose syrup using it. I then use it in making rose lemonade and drizzle it over other desserts.  You can see that I have used it in the pictures as well. Aren’t they just beautiful?

Ingredients 

2 ltrs – whole fat milk
1/4 cup – Sugar
1 tsp – Saffron
Almond flakes and Dry Rose Petals

Method

In the KitchenAid’s 10″ Copper skillet or a heavy bottom wide pan, pour in the milk and bring it to a boil. 

Crush the saffron in a mortar pestle  and soak it in a bowl using a little of this hot milk.

Once the milk has boiled, reduce the flame or move it to a smaller flame.

Meanwhile a layer of cream will start forming on top.

Using a spoon keep pushing the cream to one side of the skillet.

Keep pushing the cream and collecting it. Do this till the milk has reduces to 1/3.

Add sugar and saffron at this stage.

Add sugar as per your liking. Taste it before you add more.

Let the milk evaporate further, pushing the cream to the side.

While mixing the sugar and saffron make sure you do not break the cream into smaller bits. 

As I have used copper skillet, which is so heavy bottomed, I did not have to worry about the milk sticking to the bottom of the pan at all (i am in love with the Copperware).

Incase of not using a heavy bottomed pan, keep stirring to avoid the milk from sticking to the bottom.

Once the milk has thickened to a condensed milk consistency, switch of the flame and let the rabdi cool. Refrigerate.

Garnish it with almond flakes, dry rose petals, silver Vark. Serve cold or at room temperature.