Burfi Recipes

ALMOND BURFI

Steps:

• Place almonds in a bowl and cover with water; soak for 30 minutes. Drain water and peel almonds.
• Blend peeled almonds in a food processor or blender until a paste forms; gradually add milk while continuing to blend. Add sugar and blend until smooth.
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat; add almond mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the skillet, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add cardamom; stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Butter a baking dish. Pour almond mixture into dish and spread into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into squares or diamond shapes.

BARFI

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
• Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ricotta and stir with a rubber spatula until butter and ricotta are incorporated. Add milk powder and sugar; mix well to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, until mixture is very thick and begins to form a dough that moves together in a single mass when stirred, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in cardamom and pistachios. Transfer mixture to prepared dish and pat into an even 3/4-inch thickness (you will only use about 60 percent of dish's surface area). Let cool to room temperature. Lift barfi from pan using parchment; cut into diamonds. Garnish with gold leaf, if desired, and more pistachios. Barfi can be stored, covered, in refrigerator up to 1 week.

CHOCOLATE BURFI

Steps:

• Lightly grease only the sides of an 8-by-8-inch pan with ghee. Line pan with parchment paper so the paper hangs over two opposite sides of the pan. Mix together cocoa powder and sugar, and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, mix together condensed milk and milk powder and add the ghee, to make khoya. Transfer pan to stovetop, add rose water and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon to combine. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture on low heat (to avoid scorching) until it has a thick batter-like consistency, about 5 minutes. It will be quite stiff at first, but will become easier to stir as it heats.
• Pour half the khoya into a medium, microwave-safe bowl and add the cocoa mixture, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.
• Pour the remainder of the khoya in the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Let cool and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Reheat the reserved chocolate khoya in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the consistency becomes spreadable again. (Alternatively, return the chocolate khoya to the stovetop and cook on low heat until mixture is hot throughout, stirring constantly, until the consistency becomes spreadable again.) Immediately pour the chocolate khoya on top of the white khoya, spreading it evenly to create two separate layers. Let the entire burfi cool and then refrigerate. Cut into small squares and serve at room temperature. The burfi can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.