Lesson 13. BASUNDI - PRODUCT DESCRIPTION, METHOD OF PREPARATION, YIELD, PACKAGING AND SHELF LIFE
Module 5. Basundi
Lesson 13
BASUNDI - PRODUCT DESCRIPTION, METHOD OF PREPARATION, YIELD, PACKAGING AND SHELF LIFE
Basundi is known, to have been prepared over several centuries in the western and southern parts of India. It is served during special festivities such as weddings and religious functions.
13.2 Product Description
Basundi is a heat-desiccated, thickened milk dessert, having white to light caramel colour, creamy consistency with soft textured flakes that are uniformly suspended throughout the product matrix. Basundi has a sweetish caramel aroma. Consumed directly as a dessert, it contains all the solids of milk in an approximate two-fold concentration and sugar, which gives it high nutritive value. Additives increase the calorific value of the product. The chemical composition of the market samples of basundi is given in Table 13.1
Table 13.1 Composition of basundi
The manufacture of basundi is confined to the non-organized sector. Its traditional method of production is labour-intensive and energy inefficient. There are variations in the product profile from region to region. Standardization of the traditional process in terms of manufacturing techniques, sensory profiles, and compositional and physico-chemical attributes is necessary for attaining a product of uniform standard and assured quality.
13.2.1 Size of industry
The total production of basundi, estimated at 25,000 tonnes per annum(Aneja et al., 2002) , is mainly confined to the cottage scale in the non-organized sector. Basundi is a popular milk dessert in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
13.3 Technology
Buffalo milk is preferably used for basundi owing to its high total solids content. Traditionally it is prepared by heating whole milk in a pan over fire. Milk is thickened through evaporative heating with occasional scraping at the bottom. With progressive boiling, more and more thickening of milk occurs. The milk is concentrated to the consistency of the condensed milk and sugar (about 15-17% of concentrated milk) is added and stirred into the milk until it is fully dissolved.
The pan is removed from the fire, allowed to cool and the flavouring material is added. Powdered cardamom (about 0.02% of concentrated milk) is added and mixed, along with saffron and borneol (edible camphor) (about 0.02% each of concentrated milk) and stirring continued till the desired consistency is achieved. The end-product has a pleasant caramel flavour and thick consistency. It is usually served chilled.
13.4 Physico-Chemical Characteristics
Basundi has a white to light brown colour with a pleasant caramelized flavour. It is of a creamy consistency and has a viscous body. Its chemical composition depends on the initial composition of milk, the degree of concentration of milk solids and the quantity of sugar added.
13.5 Innovations
It is recommended that the fat content of milk is standardized to about 5 percent in case of buffalo milk and about 4 percent in case of cow milk (fat : SNF ratio of about 0.5). Homogenization of milk at 75 kg/cm2 at 65°C imparts a distinctively superior and rich body to the finished product. Milk may be concentrated by the Scraped Surface Heat Exchanger (thin film) when the product is made by the mechanized process. Alternatively, skim milk may be preheated to 90°C in a plate heat exchanger and concentrated by the Reverse Osmosis process to 22 percent TS level. Then, cream is mixed to this milk concentrate for adjustment of the fat content.
Conventional vacuum evaporator may also be employed for concentration of milk to a predetermined level. For consumer-level marketing, the final product may be packaged in glass bottles, heat-sealable polypropylene cups with aluminium foil lids, metalized polylaminated pouches. Bulk packaging is used for institutional markets. For manufacture of long shelf life basundi, the UHT processing may be employed for the milk concentrate, followed by aseptic packaging.
Reference
Pal, D. (1997) Technology of the manufacture of rabri and basundi in Advances in traditional dairy products. CAS in Dairy Technology, NDRl Deemed University, Karnal.
Last modified: Friday, 12 October 2012, 10:30 AM