Badam(Almond) Halwa..

 

Let me start my blog with a rich and delicious sweet made with almonds, saffron, milk, ghee and sugar. The key ingredient of this sweet is almond.

Almond is said to have originated from Middle East. It was spread by humans in ancient times along the shores of the Mediterranean into northern Africa and southern Europe and more recently transported to other parts of the world. Almond is highly nutritious and is a rich source of iron, calcium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E ans also rich in dietary fiber, monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats which may lower LDL cholesterol.

This sweet is so yummy and also very easy to prepare. The only time consuming part is soaking & peeling off the skin from almonds. 

Badam Halwa Recipe

Preparation Time : 2 hrs | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 2
Category : Sweet | Cuisine : South Indian

Ingredients

Badam(Almond) - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Ghee(Clarified butter) - 6 tbsp

Milk - 1/8 cup + 1/8 cup

Cardamom powder - a pinch

Saffron - a tiny pinch

Yellow food color - a tiny pinch

Method

1. Soak almonds for 3 hrs. Then peel off the skin and make it ready.  

2. Then grind the almonds along with 1/8 cup of milk to a semi coarse paste. Take another 1/8 cup of warm milk, add crushed saffron and the yellow food color to it.

3. In a non sticky pan, add sugar with water and let it boil until sugar completely dissolves (no need to check string consistency). Then add the ground almond paste to it and stir it continuously in medium flame to avoid lumps. Once it is completely blended with the sugar syrup, add saffron milk and mix well. Also add cardamom powder now. 

 4. Keep stirring in low flame for 5mins. It will start to splutter. Then add a tsp of ghee at regular intervals stirring continuously. At one stage spluttering will stop, ghee will be completely absorbed and the halwa will start leaving the sides of the pan. At this stage small white bubbles will start appearing. This is the right stage, to switch off. Badam halwa thickens with time.

 Cool down and store it in a container. You can also wrap it in a wax paper for single servings. Then what are you waiting for? Your yummy badam halwa is ready to taste now:) Enjoy the royal indulgence!!

Points to be noted

• If you want to peel the almonds instantly, then add it to the boiling water for 15 mins, then cool down and start peeling.

• Keep stirring continuously as it gets burnt easily.

• Use a non sticky pan to avoid burning and sticking. Also adding ghee at regular interval avoids sticking. Be generous in adding ghee.

• Adding ghee is very important for this halwa. If you are more diet conscious & concerned about the ghee, please do not make this sweet, as it will not come out well with proper consistency if you reduce the amount of ghee.
   
• Be careful at the stage when it starts to splutter.
   
• You have to switch off, once the halwa starts leaving the sides of the pan & in a semi solid state. It keeps well for a week if refrigerated. Always use a clean spoon.