Vegan Rose Basundi is a twist to the classic Indian dessert recipe! This simple, easy and delicious milk pudding can be served hot or cold. Ideal for festivals, holidays, parties, and general merriment.
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What is Basundi
Most Indians have a sweet tooth. No wonder we have so many varieties of desserts in our cuisine. Through this blog, I want to document dessert recipes from different parts of India. Basundi is a milk-based Gujarati dessert. It's also made in Maharashtra and Karnataka. It's made by thickening full-fat milk till it becomes rich and creamy.
This milk pudding recipe is very simple and easy to make but a bit time-consuming when made on the stovetop. You need to be constantly stirring the pot till the milk thickens. It's quite an arm workout! There are many variations to this recipe online and one such variation is Rose Basundi. I love rose-flavored desserts. They lend a refreshing flavor and fragrance to dishes plus they make it look so beautiful. I have shared a vegan version of Basundi here.
Indian desserts and dairy
Indian desserts and dairy go hand-in-hand. It is very difficult to imagine Indian sweets without milk, ghee, paneer, or khoya. Most traditional desserts call for some kind of dairy and frankly speaking, they really bring out the flavors of the dessert. I wanted to recreate some classics for my vegan audience. I realized that with just a few swaps and tweaks, it's not at all difficult to make vegan versions of Indian desserts. Sweetcorn Pudding and Beetroot Halwa are some of my favorite vegan Indian dessert recipes. If looking for a non-Indian vegan dessert recipe, then check out Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies and Strawberry Ice Cream.
Rabri vs Basundi
Although they both call for similar ingredients, they are different. Rabri is thicker in consistency than Basundi. This also alters the taste. Rabri also has chunks of malai in it while Basundi is more smooth. I have a recipe for Rabri Ice Cream if you want to check it out. The sweet beetroot sauce glaze on top of this ice cream is to die for!
Why make this
- Vegan twist to a classic Indian dessert
- Is made without condensed milk
- It's a 5-ingredient dessert recipe
- Will be loved by kids and adults
Ingredients needed 🧾
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Creamer - Use any dairy-free creamer. I have used Almond + Coconut milk creamer. You can also use vegan evaporated milk or whipping cream.
Milk - I have used full-fat coconut milk for this recipe. You can also use any other sweetened or plain non-dairy milk.
Sugar - I have used powdered sugar, but you can use any kind of sugar.
Rose flavor - I have used rose milk powder and rose water. You can also use rose syrup instead of powder. If using syrup then food color can be skipped.
Nuts - Pistachios and almonds are what I have used.
How to make it 🔪
Always use a wide mouth thick bottomed pan when making such milk-based recipes.
- Pour full-fat coconut milk into the pan.
- Then pour the vegan creamer. Mix and bring to a boil. Keep the flame on low to medium. Chef Tip - Keep stirring at regular intervals and scraping the sides of the pan to avoid scorching. The mixture should reduce in half.
- Then add sugar. You can also add jaggery or cane/brown sugar.
- Add rose powder and rose water to the pan. Continue to cook on medium flame till the mixture thickens. This could take 20-25 minutes. Chef Tip - Do not cover the pan at any point.
Serving suggestions 🍽
The final consistency should resemble a smoothie. Fry almonds and pistachios in oil and pour them over the Rose Basundi. You can serve this vegan Basundi hot or cold. This instant pudding with coconut milk can be served in individual cups or bowls or served with Puri. Basundi Puri is an amazing combo!
It's the perfect dessert to make when you have sudden guests, to serve on any happy occasion, party, or on festive occasions like Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even Valentine's day.
Top recipe tips 💭
For rose flavor, you can also add rose syrup instead of rose milk powder. If doing so, adjust the quantity of sugar as it's already sweet. Also, there is no need to add food color. Cardamom powder, nutmeg, and saffron can also be added to give it a more aromatic flavor. Skipping the sugar and adding vegan condensed milk will help reduce the cooking time as it will help thicken the milk quickly. If you like your milk pudding to be smooth, add nuts powder instead of whole nuts. Especially some kids/fussy eaters don't like pieces to chew on when drinking something.
Recipe FAQs 📖
You may use other non-dairy milk like almond, oat, or soy milk in place of coconut milk. If you are not vegan, you can totally make it using whole milk and creamer.
If your Basundi ends up being sweeter, just add some more milk, and if it's less sweet, you can always add more sugar. Remember, Basundi will continue to thicken as it cools. So do not cook it longer than required.
This vegan Indian dessert recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also freeze it. When it's time to see, either serve it cold or heat and serve.
Soak oats in Basundi and you have Basundi-flavored overnight oats. They taste yummy! Another fun way to enjoy this coconut milk vegan pudding is to pour it into Popsicle molds and freeze them. Rose Basundi Popsicles on a hot summer day is always a good idea!
Yes! Instead of rose flavor, you can make it with fruits like mangoes, custard apples, pineapple, raspberries, and strawberries. It helps cut the sweetness with some tart in this flavored milk recipe.
More dessert ideas with Rose
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Recipe 📖
Vegan Rose Basundi
Equipment
- Wide mouth thick bottomed saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegan ghee
- 2 tablespoon cashews
- 2 tablespoon almonds
- 2 tablespoon silvered pistachios
- 13.5 fl.oz canned coconut milk
- 2 cups vegan creamer
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon rose syrup
- ½ tablespoon rose water
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon edible rose petals
Instructions
- Chop all the nuts using a Nut Chopper. Heat vegan ghee in a small pan and fry chopped cashews, pistachios, and almonds for 30 seconds.
- Transfer the roasted nuts to a plate.
- Pour full-fat coconut milk and vegan creamer in the same pan. Whisk it to ensure there are no lumps in the coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Keep the flame on low to medium. This could take 15 minutes.
- Keep stirring at regular intervals and scraping the sides of the pan to avoid scorching. Then add sugar. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. The mixture should reduce and thicken a bit. The color of the Basundi will also change and become creamy.
- Now add the roasted nuts. Reserve some for garnish. Continue to cook it for another 10 minutes on low to medium flame. Keep stirring at intervals.
- Take the Basundi off the flame. Add rose water, cardamom powder and ground nutmeg. Mix.
- You can serve this vegan Basundi immediately or later when its chilled. Garnish with rose petals and rose syrup before serving.
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fat tiger ready-to-eat momos says
This basundi recipe is a must-try
Priya says
Thank you.