Easy Milk Barfi Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This Easy Milk Barfi Recipe is an easy, no-bake, gluten-free, South Asian white fudge that is very popular during celebrations

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

setting time30

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Diet: Gluten Free, Halal, Hindu

Keyword: Eid Dessert, Gluten Free Dessert, Milk Burfi, No Bake Dessert, White Fudge

Servings: pieces

Calories: 206kcal

Author: Nosheen Babar

Ingredients

⅓ cup ghee
1 cup whole milk
3 cups full fat milk powder
¾ cups granulated sugar
7 pods cardamom (see notes)
⅛ tsp salt
2 tbsp almonds (see notes)
1 tbsp rose petals (optional)
edible silver or gold leaf (optional)

Instructions

Heat the ghee till it has all melted.
Add the whole milk to the ghee and let it heat so that the milk powder dissolves in it well.
Start adding in the milk powder a little at a time to avoid clumping and whisk till it is all incorporated. (see notes)
Add in the sugar and stir till it is all melted.
Keep stirring constantly at medium low heat till the mixture starts to thicken.
About halfway through add in the cardamom and half of the almonds and continue to stir.
Once the mixture starts to come away from the sides of the pan, keep stirring for a few more minutes till you have a soft doughy mixture in the center of the pan (see notes)
Turn the heat off at this point to avoid overcooking and take ½ teaspoon of the mixture and put it on a plate.
Chill this small amount in the fridge for a minute and then see if it rolls into a smooth ball. If it does, your mixture is ready to be poured into the baking pan.
Grease your pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper.
Spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth it out with a soft spatula to fill out all the edges and have a smooth surface on top.
Sprinkle the remaining nuts and pat them in a little bit to stick to the barfi.
Add the rose petals, silver leaf or any other garnish at this point as well and place the barfi in the fridge to set.
After a minimum of 30 minutes, remove the entire slab of barfi carefully from the tin using the parchment to lift it out and cut it into squares or diamond shaped pieces.

Notes

Cardamom - Break open the cardamom pods, remove the seeds, crush and use. You can substitute with ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder if you wish but I recommend using actual cardamom seeds for best flavor.

Almonds - I use store bought sliced almonds, adding half in the mixture itself and using the rest as topping. You can substitute with pistachios or other nuts if you prefer.

Rose Petals - These are optional but add a pretty touch to the barfi. If you're making the barfi for a special occasion then it makes it look more festive.

Edible Silver/Gold Leaf - Sweet shops in Pakistan apply silver leaf to their 'mithai' to decorate it, especially during Eid and for weddings. This is optional but once again adds a beautiful and festive touch.

Adding In The Milk Powder - The milk powder needs to be added slowly and whisked constantly to prevent clumps from forming. The mixture will be grainy due to the proportion of liquids to solids but undissolved clumps in the barfi will obviously taste unpleasant and need to be smoothed out.

When Is Your Mixture Done - Some recipes call for and show a fairly well formed dough like mixture by the end of the stirring process. I find that stopping just short of that point makes for a softer texture for the barfi. Since the mixture has been cooking for so long, it keeps evaporating and thickening even after the heat is turned off. I usually stir an extra minute or two after the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and then turn the heat off. I leave the mixture in the pan and grease and line my baking pan. In that time, the mixture thickens a bit more and by the time I'm done transferring it and spreading it in the pan it firms up some more, reaching the perfect consistency.

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