Badam Barfi: A Dessert Made With Love

Stressed spelled backwards is Desserts. Coincidence? Dessert makes us go weak in the knees. It's a warm blanket on a cold winter evening. It's icing on a cake and the climax to an absolutely spectacular movie. There is no denying the fact that desserts give a befitting end to any meal. And Indians? We have a penchant for sweets, no doubt. Not only are desserts part of our staple fare, but they are also offered in our places of worship. Be it the kadha prasad at Gurudwaras or the boondi ladoos served at temples, desserts form an integral part of our sacred offerings. And by and large, all Indian desserts use sugar, milk and khoya as staple ingredients. We take immense pride in our wide array of delicious treats, ranging from Gulab Jamun to Mishti Doi.

Among this wide array of desserts, comes down the dearest of dearest- Badam Barfi. A popular Indian sweet made with the goodness of almonds, badam ki barfi is a delectable sweet to relish during the festive season of Diwali or other special occasions. An aromatic Indian dessert with a delightful balance of a mild sweet taste and a light fudge-type texture. Unbelievably easy to make, this almond fudge leaves your kitchen smelling like a million bucks, as the fragrances of cardamom and saffron weave a perfect harmony with the earthy and flavourful almond. 

Almonds originated in the western parts of Asia and China, and were most likely cultivated there. Although the exact place of domestication is lost in time, scientists have been able to point to Western Asia as the most likely place they were first grown. Even now in modern day Iran and neighbouring countries, wild almonds are native and still grow there. Experts think that almonds were one of the first trees domesticated because cultivated almonds appeared during the Early Bronze Age (ca. 3000-2000 BCE) in Numeira in Jordan. Almonds are mentioned in the Bible, and were even found in Tutankhamen's tomb (ca. 1325 BCE) in Egypt.

Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serving: 5

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup badam / almonds
• 1 cup hot water
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp saffron milk
• 4 cardamom / elachi (powdered)
• 2 tbsp ghee / clarified butter

Procedure for preparation of Badam Barfi:

1. Firstly, in a large bowl soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour.
2. Now slowly peel the skin from badam and keep aside.
3. Also pat dry the badam making sure there is no moisture present.
4. Transfer the badam into a small blender and blend to coarse powder and keep aside.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup by adding ¾ cup sugar and ½ cup water.
6. Keeping the flame on low, stir continuously.
7. Boil the sugar syrup till it forms one string consistency.
8. Now add the prepared almond powder, saffron milk and cardamom powder.
9. Mix continuously keeping flame on low to medium.
10. Continue to mix continuously till the mixture starts to leave the pan.
11. Transfer the badam dough onto the butter paper.
12. And allow to cool for 5 minutes.
13. Grease your hand with little ghee and knead for a minute.
14. Once you get smooth dough, roll the dough with a rolling-pin.
15. Furthermore, cut the dough into square shape or the shape you wish for.
16. You can also decorate with silver leaf / silver vark.
17. Finally, serve badam burfi / badam katli on diwali or any festival.

The chewy texture of these aromatic bite-sized barfi squares is so delightful, we bet you will not be able to stop at one. So the next time you have a sweet craving, go ahead and try this quick and hassle-free dessert recipe.