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Growing up, my mom always made us chocolate barfi during Diwali, the festival of lights. The sweet is something that is enjoyed during festive seasons throughout the year or for any celebratory occasion. This barfi recipe is rich, creamy, and will just melt in your mouth. If you love fudge, you’ll love this – the taste and texture of the version I make here resembles a vanilla fudge.
The great thing about this barfi recipe is that it requires just a few basic ingredients and can be made quickly. Barfi is one of many milk-based Indian sweets. Traditionally, it would have been made by slowly cooking milk down for hours until it condensed into the dough-like evaporated milk solids known as khoya or mawa. A quicker and easier way of making barfi starts with milk powder instead. If you are using khoya, the process of cooking remains the same.
One you’ve mastered the basic barfi recipe, there are a world of variations to try. Some of my favorites are chocolate, vanilla, coconut, pistachio, rose, and almond. I still remember that my mom decorated hers with rainbow sprinkles and a candle on the top; my version here gets its decoration from pistachios, saffron threads, dried rose buds, and a bit of edible silver leaf.
More Related Recipes to Try Next:
My Mum’s Samosas
Creamy Paneer Masala
Dal Makhni
Instant Cardamom Barfi (Burfi)
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk powder
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons butter or ghee
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Approx. 2 tablespoons slivered pistachios
- To garnish: Saffron, rose buds, and silver leaf
Preparation
1. Grease a 9×6 baking pan.
2. Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium to low heat. Once hot, add in the butter and 1/2 cup of milk. Let the butter melt.
3. Once the butter melts, add in the milk powder stirring constantly. Once the powder is incorporated with milk, gradually add in the powdered sugar.
4. If there are bits of dry powder left, add in the three tablespoons of milk. If you need to add more milk, add a tablespoon at a time. At this stage the mixture should have a paste like consistency.
5. While continuously stirring, cook the mixture for 8-9 minutes or until it easily leaves the surface of the pan. The mixture should look like a dough.
6. Turn the heat off and add vanilla essence, cardamom, and a tablespoon of pistachios. Mix everything well. Spread the mixture evenly on the greased pan and top the remaining tablespoon of pistachios.
7. Let the burfi set for at least three hours. Once set, it can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to seven days.
From 2021
