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.
More sweets recipes
rabri recipe
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.
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.
Thanks for the yummy recipe.
Can we make rabri with heavy whipping cream?
rabri cannot be made with whipping cream. welcome.
Thanks so much
welcome tulika
Lovely Recipe, everyone enjoyed it including kids. We stopped having it from market now. i have become Rabri specialist at home. thanks so much for the recipe.
welcome shilpi and so glad to read your comment. thanks for the feedback on rabri recipe. happy cooking.
Yummy and easy.made this today yo go with your jalebi recipe. Have to stop myself from eating too much.
thank you dinah for sharing the feedback and the rating. yes jalebi and rabri is an irresistible combo. happy cooking.
Thanks…I will definitely try this one …
sure sheetal, do try.
Hi,
I made the rasgullas from recipe from another site. They did not hold well, so I went to your site to use those rasgullas in making the rasmilai which turned out really really great.
I have a question about the milk that is used for rabri. I live in Canada and the homo milk has 3.25% fat. This milk does not form layers of cream like I saw on this recipe.
What is the fat % of the milk that you are using for this recipe.
Thank you so much. I love your website and I am here to stay.
Please respond as soon as you can.
Welcome Tina. I have used full fat milk. it is 100 percent fat.
Hi Dasanna! Love your recipes! Truly mouth watering!
Well, I have a very strange question.
Can we use more quantity of toned milk instead of full fat whole milk?
jayasri, you will need to give a try. usually for rabri, full fat milk is the best. but i think it should work. adjust the amount of sugar, dry fruits, saffron as required.
Thanks for your reply!
May I know which brand milk did you use? Here Amul Taaza and Nestle A+ are available.
welcome jayasri. i used organic milk for this recipe. you can use amul gold.
while making rabdi milk spoiled what can be done with the milk?
sandhya, strain the milk and then you will get rich chenna. just mash the chenna or grind with sugar in mixie. then make sandesh. or you can cook the ground chenna lightly and then make sandesh. or you can let the entire water evaporate. add sugar. and make a paneer like sweet.
My rabdi got a bit of sour taste. what would be the reason
rabdi getting a sour taste is due to using milk which is one the verge of getting spoiled or a bit spoiled. hope this helps.
ok … thanks
I m a new cook…. and vegreceipes is the guide for me ….
Helping me to experiment new receipes as i get bored eating the same food again n again.
pleased to know that thankyou sandhya 🙂
very nice sweet …
I made the rabri for the very first time and it tastes divine. Will make the malpua tomorrow for holi. Thanks a ton yet again dasana.
pleased to know this thankyou so much sridevi for your kind and honest words 🙂 wish youa dn your family a happy holi.
I had made rasmalai earlier too with the traditional method of rabri. This time I want to make it again but I am confused about which will taste better rasmalai with condensed milk or the traditional method. Please help me out.
Waiting for your response.
kaur, the traditional recipe is better. with condensed milk, i always find the rasmalai to be more sweet and plus one does not get the malai wala texture of rabri in condensed milk. if short of time, then you can use condensed milk.
Thank you . I will make it again soon.
sure harsimrat 🙂
First time a receipe as detail as programming a computer 🙂 along with photographs
thank you krishna.
Hi dassana I am chef I am working in Australia I was looking for the rabri recipe that one is awesome frankly speaking I am more western style chef then indian style and this rabri recipe really goes good with ghulab jamun .i am not so good in indian desserts but this recipe simple and delicious I got heaps of compliment for my indian theam night . Thanks for sharing your recipes .
pleased to know this bobby and thankyou for your kind words. glad your team liked the rabri recipe 🙂 you are always welcome.
Madem..I REALLY THANKS TO U FORGIVING ME THE RECIPE OF MY BE SWEET FAVORATE DISH. I LIKE.I AM FROM HYDERABAD& I REALLY THANKS TO U VERY MUCH……
thankyou dr mirbaqtiyarili :)and you are always welcome.
Hi, love ur culinary skills. I have a question – what is the difference if you add sugar while making the dish as you have explained or prepare condensed milk and then add while preparing? Also I love to steam the condensed milk further for brownish colour in rabri. You have added saffron some time later after collecting some white layers of milk. Any specific reason or you can add it at the beginning too???
thanks. sugar can be added first too. but i add sugar later as the amount can go awry if added first, since the milk keeps on reducing and getting thickened. thus the concentration of sugar increases. since in the recipe i have already mentioned the amount of sugar, you can add it first too. but when making without measurements, its better to add sugar later. saffron has a delicate aroma and if cooked too much, the freshness of its aroma reduces. ideally it should be added at the last stage. but to get a bright yellow color i have added it in between.
Thanks for the tip. Actually I was asking for adding condensed milk in place of sugar. I would like to know the difference in cooking with sugar like you did or by adding condensed milk. Also comment which is better style of cooking.
fine. i thought you are referring to rabri as condensed milk. since the milk is getting condensed in a way. with condensed milk the taste will be different than with sugar. in fact the rabri will me more richer with condensed milk. with condensed milk the time would also reduce. i would suggest to make the rabri with sugar as that gives the authentic taste. but then its totally upto you and what suits you 🙂
Thanks. The tips are really precise and helpful…
welcome and thankyou karan 🙂
Love your blog! Your recipes always turn our delicious no matter what; even when I make minor modifications to suit our taste or availability of ingredients. 100% success, every single time!
we are glad to know this thankyou for your encouraging and kind words 🙂
Heya dassana, I tried this rabadi recipe today with few of my variations and I must say that it turned out so well that I am in awe..I am so thankful to u for sharing ur wonderful recipes with us. I have added little condensed milk and crumbled paneer to speed up the process and to achieve thickness as here in england it’s really difficult to get full fat milk. Thanks again ur truly wonderful.
thankyou abhiruchi for your kind words 🙂 pleased to know you liked the rabri with your modifications. you are always welcome.
Hi dassana,
I must say, this is my favorite cooking blog. The elaborate cooking steps and the tips in between, and those amazing pictures. I keep coming back again and again everytime trying something new from your blog. Thank you so much 🙂 Looking forward to many more recipes from your blog… 🙂
Regards,
we are quite glad to know this janhavi 🙂 do keep coming and keep sharing your views would love to hear from you. you are always welcome and thankyou so much for your kind words.
I have tried this recipe……
Very Yummy and delicious and awesome.
thanks megha
Awesome & in a very simple way u explained us…. thanq ?
welcome sutapa
Hi, first I was introduced to this website through Facebook from my friend. From that day I have become your fan. Is rabdi and basundi are same
thanks sushma. rabdi is more thick than basundi. though the preparation is same, for rabdi the milk is simmered further than what is done for basundi.
Thanks for sharing such a good recipy. I really appreciated ur efforts
welcome anees
Dear Sir i really thanks to u for giving me the receipe of my be sweet dish i like i am from pakistan and i really thanks to u very much
welcome sarfraz.
Hi Dassana,
I tried this recipe last weekend. It turned out really nice and yummy. My husband loved it and so did I. I never knew making Rabdi was so easy, it is one of my most favorite sweet.
Thank you so much, I love your blog!
welcome harsha. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive review on rabri.
Hi dassana, I made the above recipe . took me 1 and1/2 hr . . turned out so nice that my 8 yr old son wants me to make it again. He just loved it. Never I thought I would make rabri at home. Thanks to you.
welcome marina. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive review on rabri.
Today is my Papa’s birthday and he don’t like cakes etc. So while he was away at work, i came on your awesome blog(its my google for cooking) and found this. I made it and it came out unexpectdly well for a beginner in cooking like me.
Thank You Di.. you explain it so well ^_^ 😀
welcome neha. thats really good to know. i appreciate you cooking for your father. do try some more recipes. as knowing little cooking helps in long run.
This has turned out to be just yummylicious. My 8 year old was a little skeptical to have it but once he tasted just a tiny bit and he is all over this rabri. Thanks for sharing it. Would be trying a few more recipes from here. 🙂 🙂
welcome kukum. glad to read your positive feedback. loved reading about your kid response.
Wow..m just having this rabri..
The recipe is very easy and yummy
thanks parul for sharing positive review on recipe.
Hi Dassana,
I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have never been interested in cooking for so many years and now that I am alone in Berlin, my only life support are your blogs. I live on them literally. I like to try all new recipes and I think I am better at cooking than being an engineer 😉 My family is surprised when I send them pictures of what I have cooked. My fiance seems to be too happy although her reasons of being happy are mean 😛
Your pictures, your writing style, your explanations- Everything is simply the best I have come across.
Thank you so much Dassana. You have made my life so easy and interesting. AND (YOU) have made me a good cook (according to my peers).
This Rabri recipe is on my list for the coming weekend.
God bless you in abundance.
welcome mahesh. thats very good to know. its like blessing in disguise as you are staying alone. good to know that you are learning cooking and getting admiration from friends. thanks for your encouraging feedback and blessings. all the best.
Dear Dassana,
This page is a “WORK OF ART”
thanks a lot, suman. i am happy to read your appreciating words.
Wahhhhh….I basically dislike sweets….but the pictures of your post inspired me to cook this….though it was a tedious process the end product was heavenly….too much applause at home….again….all kudos to you….:) 🙂
thanks priya for this sweet feedback. glad to know that the photography inspired you to try rabri. the process is long but if you do something else in the kitchen then you will not feel that its a long process. i usually cook my lunch and rabri side by side. so the time does not register.
This process of making rabri is amazing and I love this dish too much