Litchi rabdi is made with full-cream milk, boiled with brown sugar and cardamom powder until it thickens. Small pieces of litchi are then added to it along with a few fried dry fruits like cashew nuts and raisins. Read my recipe to learn the steps to make litchi rabdi at home.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Litchi rabdi is a very popular sweet dish in India.
- Serve it chilled as is or with puris and jalebis.
- Litchi rabdi tastes sweet, creamy, and earthy.
- Other similar recipes are plain rabdi, paneer rabdi, chaler payesh, chanar payesh, doodh puli, rosomalai, and rosogollar payesh.
The Ingredients:
- 15 pieces litchi (peeled, seed removed, chopped into small pieces)
To boil the milk:
- 1 liter milk (full cream milk)
- 2 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp brown sugar (or regular sugar)
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
To fry the dry fruits:
- 1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts (broken in half)
- 1 tbsp raisins (kismis)
My mother-in-law knows about a lot of sweet dish and desserts that we find very unique and absolutely delicious. This is one recipe I learnt from her during my early married life. I had written down the steps in my kitchen notebook then and still treasure it.
When I make this sweet dish at home, especially during the summer months, my two sons simply live on it and forget eating anything else. Give a few puris with it and they are more than happy and content. My husband also loves this dish very much. It makes me feel happy that he still enjoys mother’s food, though cooked by me. Nostalgically lovely feeling!
How to Make Litchi Rabdi? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Put 2 tbsp of water in a pan, spread it and then pour a liter of full cream milk. Stir continuously to bring it to a boil on a medium flame.
Step 2: Take 15 pieces of litchi, peel them, open them and remove the seeds from the inside.
Step 3: Chop them into small pieces.
Step 4: When the milk is reduced and starts to thicken, reduce the flame to low and boil it until it thickens further.
Step 5: Add 3 tbsp brown sugar. Mix and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more until the melted sugar becomes thick. Mix ½ tsp of cardamom powder and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 6: Check consistency. Run a finger on the back of the spoon. If the milk coats it, switch off the gas stove, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool.
Step 7: Fry 2 tbsp of cashew nuts (broken in half) in 1 tsp of ghee (clarified butter) on a low flame for half a minute. Then fry 1 tbsp of raisins (kismis) till they swell up.
Step 8: Add the chopped litchi and the fried dry fruits to the rabdi. Mix and check the final consistency.
Step 9: Transfer it to a bowl. Keep it in the fridge for an hour to thicken.
Step 10: Garnish with a few dry fruits and your sweet and delicious homemade litchi rabdi is ready.
Recipe Card
Litchi Rabdi | Litchu Rabri | Lychee Rabdi
Ingredients
- 15 pieces litchi peeled, seed removed, chopped into small pieces
To boil the milk:
- 1 liter milk full cream milk
- 2 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp brown sugar or regular sugar
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
To fry the dry fruits:
- 1 tsp ghee clarified butter
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts broken in half
- 1 tbsp of raisins kismis
Instructions
- Put 2 tbsp of water in a pan, spread it and then pour a liter of full cream milk. Stir continuously to bring it to a boil on a medium flame.
- Take 15 pieces of litchi, peel them, open them and remove the seeds from the inside.
- Chop them into small pieces.
- When the milk is reduced and starts to thicken, reduce the flame to low and boil it until it thickens further.
- Add 3 tbsp brown sugar. Mix and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more until the melted sugar becomes thick. Mix ½ tsp of cardamom powder and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Check consistency. Run a finger on the back of the spoon. If the milk coats it, switch off the gas stove, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool.
- Fry 2 tbsp of cashew nuts (broken in half) in 1 tsp of ghee (clarified butter) on a low flame for half a minute. Then fry 1 tbsp of raisins (kismis) till they swell up.
- Add the chopped litchi and the fried dry fruits to the rabdi. Mix and check the final consistency.
- Transfer it to a bowl. Keep it in the fridge for an hour to thicken.
- Garnish with a few dry fruits and your sweet and delicious homemade litchi rabdi is ready.
