Kesari Thandai Rabdi (Kesari Thandai Rabri)

Story of the Broken Earthenware Pot:

The festival of colours i.e. With #Holi is just around the corner…
My green-eyed hunk my husband Uday Kugaji simply adores consuming Rabdi
Thought of preparing #rabdi with a burst of flavours incorporated in it… Kesar + Thandai….. Rabdi for him ….
Wanted to style it in the #earthenwarepot he got for me a few days back…
To my surprise it had a big crack and was also chipped … I was so disheartened to see this…
But as I looked at the broken earthenware pot , it reminded me of Japanese Art that I had once read about & forgotten about…
#Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold — built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art.
I embraced the broken earthenware pot, fired it on live fire and placed the #KesariThandaiRabdi in it & the entire styling looked absolutely mesmerising…

A rich creamy dessert prepared with thickened milk, flavoured with home-made (prepared at home) Thandai Mix powder or thick paste and saffron , laced with silver leaf and garnished with saffron strands, slivered pistachio nuts ,almonds, lightly toasted fennel, melon and pepita seeds and edible dried rose petals.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 90 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients and Quantity:

Full Cream Milk- 6 cups

Sugar- 75 gm.

Saffron strands, steeped in 1/4^th cup of lukewarm mil- 1/4^th gm.

Pistachio nuts, lightly roasted and chopped / slivered- 15 gm.

Almonds, lightly roasted and chopped / slivered- 15 gm.

For the Flavoring:

Thandai paste, prepared at home

Almonds- 30 gm.

Pistachio nuts-15 gm.

Cashew nuts-20 gm.

Poppy seeds- 1 ½ tbsp.

Melon seeds-1 tbsp.

Fennel seeds- ½ tbsp.

Black peppercorns-08-10 mos.

Saffron, broiled-02 gm.

Cinnamon powder-1/2 tsp.

Green Cardamom Powder- 01 tsp

For the Applying:

Silver Leaf (Chandi Ka Warq)- 1 sheet

For the Garnishing:

Saffron strands ,steeped in 1 tbsp. lukewarm milk- a pinch

Fennel seeds, lightly roasted -2 tsp.

Pistachio nuts, lightly roasted and chopped / slivered- 10 gm.

Almonds, lightly roasted and chopped / slivered- 10 gm.

Rose petals, dried and edible- 2 tsp.

For the covering of the Earthenware Pot:

Muslin / Cheese cloth, food grade- 1/4^th metre

Method: For the Home prepared Thandai Paste

Soak the ingredients mentioned from almonds to saffron in the Thandai paste overnight in water.

Strain the mixture and peel almonds and pistachio nuts, add cinnamon and green cardamom powder and now prepare a silk smooth paste of the entire mixture by adding a little water.

Method: For the Thandai Rabdi

In a heavy bottomed non-stick pan, add milk, bring to a boil.
Simmer over low flame / heat.

Add the steeped saffron.
Do not stir too often, as a layer of cream should form over it.
After the layer is formed, keep pushing it away from the sides towards the centre with the help of a wooden spatula
Keep stirring the milk below it gently to avoid scorching / burning.
Repeat the process till 1/3 rd of the volume of milk is left.

Add sugar.
The wider the vessel and the richer the milk, the faster it will thicken.
When done, the color changes to a beige-cream / off white, and the cream that was pushed aside, collect in layers. Add the nuts.
Remove from the flame. Add the thandai paste and mix well.
Let it cool.

Transfer to earthenware pots.

Cover and tie the top of the earthenware top with a muslin cloth
Refrigerate to chill for at least for 03 hours.

For the Serving:

Serve chilled laced with silver leaf and garnished with saffron strands, slivered pistachio nuts, almonds, lightly toasted fennel, melon and pepita seeds and edible dried rose petals.

Chef Tips:
1. Make sure that the milk does not burn as, then it is next to impossible to rectify the burnt milk.
2. You may add a few drops of natural screw pine water / Rose water when the Rabdi (Rabri) is done.