Follow this recipe of sitaphal rabri to enjoy custard apples this season

Sitaphal rabri. Pic courtesy/Reetu Uday Kugaji

India is one of the few lucky countries that gets to enjoy seasonal produce. Right now, custard apples are in season and while sitaphal ice-cream, milkshake and basundi are the three most popular delicacies, chef consultant and recipe developer Reetu Uday Kugaji shares an interesting dish - sitaphal rabri.

"I belong to a Punjabi family where rabri has been a commonly-made delicacy in the household. I learnt how to make authentic rabri from my mother, and decided to add a seasonal flavour to it by using custard apple," shares the Navi Mumbai-based home chef, who doesn't use sugar in her preparation.

"The reason I use seasonal fruits is because they contain natural sugar. I also avoid the use of corn flour or mawa, which is typically used to make rabri thicker and creamier," shares the chef, who encourages the use of dried fruits, saffron and dried rose petals to make this Indian fruity dessert both appealing and satisfying.

Sitaphal rabri

Ingredients
. 5 cups full cream milk
. 20 gms lightly roasted and slivered almonds and pistachio
. ½ cup fresh sitaphal pulp
. ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
. A pinch of lightly roasted saffron strands
. 2 tsp of dried, organic and edible rose petals

Method
In a heavy bottomed pan pour milk, let it simmer over low flame until it comes to boil. (The wider the vessel, the richer the milk rabri is, the faster it will thicken). 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. This kurchan (thick cream like part of the milk) makes the rabri creamier and lachedar. Stir the milk gently to avoid scorching or burning at the base of the pan. Repeat the process till the milk is reduced to one third of its quantity. Add green cardamom powder and mix it. The colour will change to a beige-cream/off-white, and the cream that was pushed aside, collects in layers.

That's when you add the chopped nuts. Turn the gas off, and set the pan aside so the creamy reduced milk cools. After it cools down, add custard apple pulp to it and mix well. Now, transfer this into a serving dish or clay pots and refrigerate it covered for three hours. Serve chilled in kulhads and garnished with saffron, almonds, pistachio and rose petals.

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