Delicious Badam Fudge or Badam Barfi is a regal dessert but is really easy to make! It does not call for too many ingredients, nor is the process a complex one but it takes love and time to make a good Badam Fudge... you literally need to stand over the pot and stir constantly to prevent the Fudge from scorching or burning. Don't let that scare you off though, as the end result is well worth the effort. Badam Fudge is so delicious everybody will think you spent hours slaving over it. Here's how you make it...
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 10-15 people
Ingredients:
- 500gms unsalted, whole almonds
- 5 tbsps ghee
- 600ml thick cream
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
Preparation:
- Put the almonds into a blender and grind them to form a coarse powder (the same consistency as sooji/ rawa).
- Set up a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat. When it is hot, add 3 tbsps of ghee to it. When the ghee melts, add the almond powder to it. Stir well.
- Roast the almond powder in the ghee until it starts to turn very, very slightly darker.
- Now add the cream, sugar and cardamom powder to it and stir to mix well.
- Cook the mixture on medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent it from scorching or burning. This can happen very easily, so be extra careful. Stir constantly!
- At one stage, as the 'liquid' in the mixture begins to dry up, it could bubble and splash, so be very careful while stirring the mixture as droplets can burn you badly. It might actually help to wear an oven glove/ mitt to protect your hand from the splatters during this stage.
- Once the splattering stops (a sign that the Halwa is almost done), add the remaining ghee and stir well.
- Keep cooking the mixture until most of the moisture in it dries up. It will start to thicken and become less pliable and come away from the sides of the pan now. You may also see a small amount of the ghee beginning to separate from it.
- You will know your Badam Fudge/ Badam Barfi is ready when it no longer sticks to the pan at all. In fact when you look at the bottom of the pan, it will be clean!
- Take the Fudge/ Barfi off the heat and spoon it onto a flat platter or plate to cool. Flatten it, with the back of a spoon, to smoothen the surface. You could, if you wish, garnish the Fudge/ Barfi with almond slivers! A lot of Indians garnish their almond fudge with edible silver foil also known as Varq (pronounced as 'Vurrk').
- While the Fudge/ Barfi is still warm, cut it into square or diamond shapes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Tip: To store Badam Fudge/ Barfi, keep it in a cool place, in an airtight container for up to 48 hours. If you need to stack the pieces in the container, place a sheet of baking paper between layers to prevent them from sticking.
