Rabdi (or rabri) is sweet thickened milk which is rich, creamy and absolutely delicious. Sharing the easy method of making rabri with ricotta cheese and sweetened condensed milk.
This classic North Indian sweet is referred as both rabdi or rabri. In the traditional method,the milk is boiled and reduced to ⅓ of its volume. To this thickened creamy milk, sugar, nuts and cardamom are added. It is a very rich and decadent dessert, but takes time and patience to make it.
If you love rabri and looking for an easy method to make at home, this recipe is for you. Making rabdi takes time and patience with constant stirring and reducing the milk. Today I am sharing the easy method of making homemade rabri with ricotta cheese and sweetened condensed milk in the instant pot.
Ingredients needed to make Easy Rabdi Recipe-
How to make home made rabdi (rabri) with step by step pics –
Step 1- Soak little saffron in 2 tbsp of warm milk. Chop the cashew and almonds and crush some cardamom.
Step 2- Turn the instant pot on Saute mode,add a tea spoon of ghee and melt it making sure it covers the entire pot and the sides. Cancel the saute mode. Now add the milk, ricotta cheese and sweetened condensed milk.
Step 3 – Mix it to remove any lumps. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Step 4 – Press manual mode (or pressure cooker mode) and cook for five minutes. Release the pressure after 5 minutes.
Step 5 – The milk will look curdled, please don’t panic. Mix everything and soon the mixture will look like rabdi. . Add the soaked saffron milk, chopped nuts and cardamom powder and give a mix.
Step 6 – Check for sweetness and adjust. Transfer the rabdi to a different container. If you have rose water you can add it now (its optional).
Step 7- Chill the rabdi for atleast 4 hours before serving. Just remember that the rabdi thickens further when stored in the refrigerator. If it is too thick for you, just add little cold milk.
What to serve rabri with?
You can serve rabri warm or chilled. Personally I love it chilled. Chilled Rabdi can be served with Gulab Jamun, Shahi Tukda, Jalebi, Falooda or Malpua.
Rabdi served with Gulab Jamun
Rabri served with Shahi Tukda
Tips to make best tasting rabdi
- Add lots of chopped nuts like almonds, cashew or pistachio
- Use 2 % milk not the skim milk or 1 % milk or full fat milk.
Storing Rabdi
After the rabdi cools, transfer it to a air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to five days.
More Ricotta Cheese Desserts-
Easy Kalakand with ricotta cheese
If you are looking for more easy desserts, then do try my collection of 5 Indian sweets made under 15 minutes
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Easy Rabdi Recipe ( Rabri recipe)
Equipment
- Instant pot 6 qt
Ingredients
- 2 cups 2 % milk (recommended) please see the notes
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk or to taste
- 1 tsp ghee
- 2 tbsp chopped cashew
- 2 tbsp chopped almonds
- 2 cardamom pods, powdered
- pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp warm water
- ¼ tsp rose water (optional)
Instructions
Rabdi recipe Instant Pot Method-
- Soak little saffron in 2 tbsp of warm milk. Chop the cashew and almonds and crush some cardamom.
- Turn the instant pot on Saute mode,add a tea spoon of ghee and melt it making sure it covers the entire pot and the sides. Cancel the saute mode. Now add the milk, ricotta cheese and sweetened condensed milk.
- Mix it to remove any lumps. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Press manual mode (or pressure cooker mode) and cook for five minutes. Release the pressure after 5 minutes.
- The milk will look curdled, please don’t panic. Mix everything and soon the mixture will look like rabdi. . Add the soaked saffron milk, chopped nuts and cardamom powder and give a mix.
- Check for sweetness and adjust. Transfer the rabdi to a different container. If you have rose water you can add it now (its optional).
- Chill the rabdi for atleast 4 hours before serving. Just remember that the rabdi thickens further when stored in the refrigerator. If it is too thick for you, just add little cold milk.
Poo
Hi, my rabdi came out thin. I used full fat milk ( because I wanted thick rabdi) and everything else is the same.
Also I make in 6 quart, made sure 1tsp ghee covers the base but still there was a layer stuck and brown. What do I need to do?
Thank you
Madhavi
Sorry to hear that Pooja. Generally rabdi thickens when you place it in the refrigerator for couple of hours. Additionally you can do this – in a pan add little more ricotta cheese and cook for 5 minutes, them add this cooked rabdi and add little more condensed milk . Refrigerate for few hrs before serving.
Meenal
Hello everyone , I made this recipe with twist , organic milk + Heavy cream + almond milk +ricotta cheese + condensed milk -. Followed the cooking time & again sautéed for 10 m – timer .. it can out perfect .. added almonds & rose petals & saffron .
Thanks Madhu for the recipe .
Madhavi
Love the additions Meenal… Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Bob
Followed recipe exactly as written; after pressure cooking it was still thin as milk. Why didn’t my rabdi get thickened?
Madhavi
If you cooked it with ricotta cheese, it should not be thin as milk. We also need to rest the Rabdi in the refrigerator for few hrs to get little thick.
What kind of milk did you use? Full fat or 2% ?
Ranju Bali
Can I make this in a regular pot on the stove? If so how long should I cook it then?
Madhavi
I have tried it in the stove top and did not like the texture. When we cook in the stove top, ricotta cheese will become soft and mushy. The taste is same, but it will be more like puree consistency. You will not get the grainy texture like you would in rabdi. If you are ok with that…. you can try the stove top method. Just cook till it gets slightly thick.
Shantha
My Rabri did not come out well. By mistake I added evaporated milk instead of condensed milk. So I added sugar. Manual mode should be in high pressure or low pressure. The milk did not reduce. Could you take a video by any chance and send.
Thanks
Madhavi
Evaporated milk will not work, as we are already using regular milk. It will make it more liquify. Sweetened condensed milk is thick and concentrated,and that is what we need to use. I cook in high pressure. I don’t have a video yet…. will try to upload in the future.
If you follow the recipe as is with out any substitutions the rabdi should come out well. Hope this helps!
Umang
I have to prepare rabri for a party of 15. Could you please help me with the modified measurements of ingredients. Would really appreciate it.
Madhavi
With the measurements I made it will serve about 6 people. We cannot make for 15 people at the same time. As we are pressure cooking, the liquid my over flow. You will have to do it in two batches.
Sana
I want to try this recipe for my kids but I only have 3.25% whole milk. Should I add some water to the mixture before pressure cooking so that it compensates for the 2% milk you have recommended?
Madhavi
Sana,
I have only tried with 2 % milk. I feel whole milk will make it very thick and chances of burning. You can try adding 1.5 cups of whole milk and 1/2 cup of water….
If you try it, please do share your feed back!