Pineapple Rabri

1 hr 50 mins

Serves 4 people

Author: Rajni Ram

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Rabri is a sweet-dish made by boiling and reducing milk until it gets a thready texture and becomes dense. It is flavoured with cardamom and nuts and served chilled.

I love making fruity desserts, and I have noticed that my guests always veer towards fruity desserts. I have been making Pineapple Rabri for many years now, and my daughter has always been a huge fan of this dessert. The first dessert I make during Pineapple season is always this one, followed by the Eggless Pineapple cake and then the Pineapple Kesari.

In this recipe, I have added Pineapple to the Rabri instead of dry nuts. Usually, Rabri is served as an accompaniment for Jalebi or Malpua, but this recipe of Pineapple Rabri can be relished just by itself. Mildly sweet and subtly flavoured, this is a dessert your loved ones will come back to each time.

While I have used Pineapple in this recipe, you can subsitute fruits like Apple, Mango, Strawberry, as per season. Always remember to add the fruit towards the end of the Rabri making, so that the milk does not curdle.

Ingredients

Pineapple 4 slices chopped fine
Milk 1.5 litres
Brown sugar or unrefined sugar 1/4 cup
White sugar 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder of 3 pods
Milk Powder 1/2 cup(optional)
Saffron strands a few(optional)

Assemble all ingredients. Please note that the pineapple can be cooked a day ahead and put in the refrigerator.
To cook the pineapples, cut them into small cubes, put them in a pan add around 2 cups water and cook. They should become soft, but not mushy. Add the brown sugar and continue to cook. Once the mixture dries up, put off the flame and let it cool.
Pour the milk into a wide-mouthed, thick-bottomed vessel and begin to boil. Keep stirring constantly as the milk should not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the saffron strands now.
Continue stirring until the milk reduces to half, it will become denser and the texture will start getting thread. Add in the milk powder(this is optional) and continue to reduce the milk.
Add the sugar when the threadiness increases and continue to stir. Put in the cardamom powder. Put off the flame when the mixture is no longer in pouring consistency, it has to be scooped out. Cool the mixture and put it in the refrigerator.
To serve add the candied Pineapple into the Rabri and mix. Reserve some for putting on top. Decorate with cherries or berries and the refreshing Pineapple Rabri is ready to serve.

Cut the pineapple into fine cubes, put them in a pan add 1.5 to 2 cups water and cook them on slow fire. The pineapple should be just cooked and not mushy. The water should have dried up, it takes about 15 minutes. After the water dries up add 1/2 cup brown sugar/unrefined sugar and saute. Keep stirring once you add sugar as there are chances of the sugar burning. Let the mixture become dry. Put off the flame and cool it. Now in a thick bottomed vessel pour the 1.5 litres of milk and boil. Keep stirring continuously, otherwise the milk we stick to the bottom of the vessel and burn. Add the Saffron strands now. Keep stirring until the milk reduces to half the quantity. It will start getting denser. The texture also changes. Add 1/2 cup milk powder(if using, at this stage) continue to stir, add the white sugar and continue stirring until the milk becomes semi-dry, that is, it should not be of flowing consistency but a little denser. At this stage put off the flame. Cool the Rabri and put it in the refrigerator. To serve add the candied pineapple pieces to the Rabri, mix, put some pieces on top and the desert is ready.

Notes:

It takes about 1.5 hrs to make this dish. But don’t be disappointed, it will be worth the effort.
The time taken will depend on the fat content in the milk used. I have used toned milk, so it took me more than an hour to reduce the milk. If full cream milk is used the time will be lesser.
If making this for a get-together or party, you can make this the previous day and put it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If doing this keep the fruit separate and add before serving.
I have used white sugar for Rabri, unlike the pineapple, as adding brown sugar to the Rabri will change its colour.

If you tried this recipe and liked it pls do comment below. I would love to hear from you.