Rabdi and Angur Rabdi: the slow ones

Rabdi is the simplest recipe in the shop and the hardest to do well, because it is almost entirely patience.

What reduction actually is

Milk is simmered slowly and stirred while the water cooks off, so what is left is concentrated milk solids. The layers of cream that form on top are folded back in as it goes, and those layers are what give rabdi its texture.

Why it cannot be rushed

Higher heat gets you there faster and gives you a scorched flavour that nothing masks. Thickeners get you the body without the taste. Both shortcuts are obvious in the bowl.

Angur Rabdi adds a second element

Small chhena pearls — angur — are set into the finished rabdi. They stay springy against the thick milk, so each spoonful has two textures rather than one.

Serve it cold

Both are better after several hours in the fridge, which lets the cardamom and saffron come forward.