Almond Barfi

January 2, 2023

Barfi is an Indian confection made by slowly cooking milk down to a thick, firm mass and then stirring in sugar, almonds, and cardamom. The name comes from the Urdu word “barf”, meaning snow, and refers to its pale colour.

It is one of the most widespread Indian mithai (sweets) and is often given as a gift at weddings, Diwali, and other celebrations. The mixture is cut into squares and eaten as a small dessert or snack with tea.

The finished barfi is sweet, dense, and fudge-like, with a clean milk flavour and a gentle warmth from the cardamom. The work itself is simple, but the milk needs to cook for a long time to become firm enough. Allow a good hour at the pan, stirring regularly so it does not scorch on the base.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

750 ml whole milk
50 g sugar
50 g ground almonds
6 cardamom pods, peeled and crushed
butter or neutral oil, for greasing

Directions

Pour the milk into a wide sauté pan or heavy-based pot and bring it to the boil.

Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and continue cooking for about 1¼ hours. Stir every couple of minutes with a wooden spoon, scraping the base and sides so it does not scorch. The milk should reduce to a thick, lumpy mass that pulls away from the base.

Stir in the sugar and add the ground almonds. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and comes together.

Pour the mixture into a greased small tin or onto a greased plate, and spread out to about 1 cm (½ inch) thickness.

Scatter over the crushed cardamom and cut the mixture into squares while it is still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Active time about 5 minutes, cooking time about 1¼ hours. The milk should cook over medium heat — too strong and it will scorch, too gentle and it takes twice as long.

The barfi firms up as it cools, so cut it into squares while it is still soft. Keeps in an airtight tin at room temperature for 2–3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.