Rabri recipe – a step by step post to make rabri the way its made traditionally. Rabri is a popular North Indian sweet made from milk.
Basically rabri is thickened sweetened milk having layers of malai or cream in it. its flavored with cardamoms, saffron with the addition of dry fruits like almonds and pistachios. This version of rabri is also called as Lachha rabri in hindi.
The preparation is easy but takes time. Milk is continuously simmered and reduced on a low flame till it reaches a semi thick consistency.
Rabri is usually prepared in a kadai as the broad shape of the kadai helps in evaporation of the milk faster. You can also use a shallow broad pan instead. The pan or kadai has to be thick bottomed or else the milk gets scorched or burnt from the base.
The step by step pics are from two different occasions I made rabri. Once I just made plain and the next time I made it to be served with Malpua.
Preparing rabri is easy but you have to give it attention. There is no short cut method to this traditional recipe. So I do suggest to prepare this recipe when you are working in your kitchen and cooking something else too. But remember not to get absent minded while making rabri.
Rabri can be served warm or chilled. You can also serve rabri With shahi tukda, Gulab jamun, Jalebi And falooda. And yes rabri tastes good with pooris too.
How to make rabdi recipe
Cooking milk till half of its volume to make rabdi
1. Take 5 cups or 1.25 litres of full fat whole milk in a kadai &Â begun to heat the milk on a low to medium flame, till the milk starts to froth or form a layer of cream/malai on top.
2. So when you will see the cream floating on top, then with a spatula, gently move the cream layer.
3. And bring it towards the side of the pan and stick it to the pan.
4. Keep on simmering the milk like this and collecting the cream layer on the sides and sticking it to the pan.
5. Meanwhile soak almonds and pistachios in hot water for 30 minutes. Then remove their peels.
6. Slice or chop them and keep aside. do keep a check on the simmering milk when soaking as well as slicing the almonds, pistachios. You can even use either almonds or pistachios.
7. This process of collecting the cream has to be done many times. continuous simmering of the milk will bring the cream on top and you have to bring & stick it to the sides. In between also stir the milk gently on occasions, so that the milk does not get burnt from the bottom.
If you do too much of stirring and if quickly, then you won’t get the layers of cream in the rabri. You can also just thicken and scrape the milk solids from the sides like I have done for Shahi tukda rabri. but in this case you won’t get the layers of cream or malai in the rabdi. But both versions taste good.
8. Here the milk has reduced to half about 30 minutes later. And you will see the layers of cream collected on the sides has thickened also.
Making rabri recipe
9. Once the milk reduces to half, then add 2.5 to 3 tbsp sugar. You can add sugar as per your taste.
10. Then add a 15 to 18 strands of saffron, which have been crushed and ½ tsp cardamom powder. Stir gently.
11. Continue collecting the cream and bringing it to the sides of the pan. Also do stir the milk gently after you bring the cream towards the sides of the pan. If you don’t stir the milk then there is a possibility of the milk getting browned or burnt from the bottom. after adding saffron, the color will change gradually to a yellow color as the milk keeps on reducing.
12. here the milk has got reduced to ⅓ of its original quantity. You can even reduce the milk to ¼ of its original volume. Switch off the flame.  it took me about 1 hour 15 minutes on a low flame initially and medium flame towards the latter stage.
13. the cream layer will be collected on the sides.
14. scrape off the entire cream layer as well as dried milk solids and add to the thickened milk.
15. stir gently.
16. Then add the sliced almonds & pistachios and 1 tsp rose water or kewra water (pandanus extract). Stir gently again. Reserve a few dry fruits for garnish.
17. Then garnish rabri with some sliced almonds, pistachios, crushed saffron and Serve rabri hot or warm or chilled.
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rabri recipe
By Dassana Amit
Ingredients
- 1.25 litres full fat whole milk or 5 cups milk
- 2.5 to 3 tablespoon sugar or add as required
- 5 to 6 green cardamoms, crushed or ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (choti elaichi powder)
- 12 to 15 saffron strands (kesar) - crushed
- 1 teaspoon rose water or kewra water (pandanus extract)
- 2 tablespoon almonds (badam) - blanched and sliced
- 2 tablespoon pistachios (pista) - blanched and sliced
Instructions
cooking milk till half of its volume to make rabdi recipe
- Take 5 cups or 1.25 litres of full fat whole milk in a thick bottomed kadai or pan & begun to heat the milk on a low to medium flame, till the milk starts to froth or form a layer of cream/malai on top.
- So when you will see the cream floating on top, then with a spatula, gently move the cream layer.
- Bring it towards the side of the pan and stick it to the pan.
- Keep on simmering the milk like this and collecting the cream layer on the sides.
- Meanwhile soak almonds and pistachios in hot water for 30 minutes. Then remove their peels.
- Slice or chop them and keep aside. Do keep a check on the simmering milk when soaking as well as slicing the almonds, pistachios.
- This process of collecting the cream layer has to be done many times. continuous simmering of the milk will bring the cream on top and you have to bring & stick it to the sides. In between also stir the milk gently on occasions, so that the milk does not get burnt from the bottom. If you do too much of stirring and if quickly, then you won't get the layers of cream in the rabri.
- You can also just thicken and scrape the milk solids from the sides like I have done for Shahi tukda rabdi. but in this case you won't get the layers of cream or malai in the rabri. But both versions taste good.
making rabri recipe
- Once the milk reduces to half, then add 2.5 to 3 tbsp sugar. You can add sugar as per your taste.
- Then add a 12 to 15 strands of crushed saffron and 1/2 tsp cardamom powder. Stir gently.
- Continue collecting the cream and bringing it to the sides of the pan. Also do stir the milk gently after you bring the cream towards the sides of the pan. If you don't stir the milk then there is a possibility of the milk getting browned or burnt from the bottom.
- After adding saffron, the color will change gradually to a yellow color as the milk keeps on reducing.
- When the milk gets reduced to 1/3 or 1/4 of its original quantity, then switch off the flame. It took me about 1 hour 15 minutes on a low flame initially and medium flame towards the latter stage.
- The cream layer will be collected on the sides. Scrape off the entire cream layer as well as dried milk solids and add to in the thickened milk.
- Stir gently. Then add the sliced almonds & pistachios and 1 tsp rose water or kewra water. Stir gently again.
- Garnish with some sliced almonds and serve rabri hot or warm or chilled.
Nutrition Info Approximate values
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Very yummy
Hi Dassana,
Im a big fan of you. Im an amateur cook most of the times or rather all the time i refer to your recipes before i start cooking for my family. My kids love all the dish that i make specially the one followed from your site. My son’s birthday is upcoming and i want to try to make Rabri. I wanted to know if i can use condensed milk to get the thickness or the creaminess. If so could me please suggest how to make it.
Thank you Gayathri for the lovely feedback. For the rabri you can take 3.5 to 4 cups of milk and boil it first. Then add ½ cup sweetened condensed milk and cook till the mixture thickens. If the rabri tastes too sweet, then you can add some more milk. if it less sweet, then add a few tablespoons of condensed milk. Add the saffron which has been mixed with some warm milk, nuts and dry fruits. You can add the saffron when adding the condensed milk too. Happy cooking.
Was so yummy.
Hi Dassana,
Thank you for the recipe. It looks delicious.
I want to try it but we dont get organic milk here and the full fat milk also does not cream up much. I was wondering if I should add a can or two of evaporated milk to it. Please advise.
Thanks
welcome neha. you can add some evaporated milk to thicken and it will work.