Bread Basundi

Bread Basundi.

Basoondi is a rich Indian dessert basically made with milk flavored with saffron or fruits or nuts. Here is a quick version of basundi where condensed milk is used instead of reducing the whole milk. Bread is crumbled and added to the hot milk for texture and flavored with cardamom and saffron. Finally, serve bread basundi hot or cold garnished with chopped almonds.
Makes: around 2 servings of bread basundi.

Ingredients:

Bread Slices 2
Milk 1 1/2 cups
Sweetened Condensed Milk 2 Tbsps
Cardamom Powder a Pinch
Almonds 4
Saffron few strands
Sugar 1/2 cup

Method of preparation:

Microwave almonds in half a cup of water for a minute.
Peel off the skin and slice the almonds.
Soak saffron in a tbsp of warm milk for a minute.

Chop off and discard the sides of the bread and crumble the bread.

Boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium – low flame until it reduces to almost a cup.
Keep stirring during the process to avoid scorching.
Stir in cardamom powder and saffron milk.
After a few seconds, add bread and let it soak up the flavored milk.
Finally stir in sweetened condensed milk and half of chopped almonds.
When the desired consistency of the basundi is reached, remove from heat.
Garnish bread basoondi with sliced almonds and serve hot or cold.
Notes: Make sure to stir the milk frequently to not burn it.

Suggestions: If the basundi is too thick, stir in more milk and boil for couple more seconds. Adjust the sweetness with sugar.
Variations: You can also boil evaporated milk in place of whole milk which further reduces the cooking time.
Other Names: Bread Basundi, Basundi with Condensed Milk, Quick Basundi.