Description
A rich and creamy traditional Indian dessert made with reduced full cream milk, ground pistachios, and fragrant cardamom, set into delicate diamond-shaped squares. This pistachio barfi is a luxurious sweet treat perfect for festivals and special occasions, offering a blend of nutty flavor and smooth texture, optionally garnished with edible silver leaf or chopped pistachios.
Ingredients
Scale
Barfi Base
- 75g shelled pistachio nuts
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 1 litre Jersey full cream milk
- 75g caster sugar
For Decoration (Optional)
- Silver leaf or extra chopped pistachio nuts
Instructions
- Prepare the Pistachios: Blitz the shelled pistachio nuts in a small food processor just until they are finely chopped. Be careful not to over-process them to avoid releasing oils. Set aside for later.
- Prepare the Cardamom Powder: Split the cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the seeds with 1 teaspoon of caster sugar until a fine powder forms.
- Reduce the Milk: Heat the full cream milk in a large wok or karahi over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir continuously with a metal spoon to prevent scorching. Continue boiling and stirring until the milk reduces rapidly and thickens to a creamy consistency that leaves the sides of the pan, resembling scrambled eggs. This process takes approximately 20-30 minutes.
- Cool and Set Khoya: Spoon the thickened milk paste into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Then chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. This reduced milk solid, called ‘khoya’, should weigh about 225-250g.
- Cook Khoya with Sugar and Cardamom: Coarsely grate the chilled khoya using a box grater and transfer it to a sturdy casserole or wok. Add the prepared cardamom powder and the remaining caster sugar. Cook over gentle heat, stirring continuously until the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture thickens further, about 10 minutes.
- Add Pistachios and Form Barfi: Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the finely chopped pistachios until evenly mixed. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and transfer the warm barfi mixture onto it. Pat it into a rough rectangle.
- Roll and Set: Cover the mixture with another sheet of parchment paper and gently roll out the barfi to a 16 x 19 cm rectangle approximately 0.5 cm thick using a rolling pin. Allow to set at room temperature for 3-4 hours or refrigerate for 30 minutes if the kitchen is warm.
- Decorate: Remove the top parchment sheet. If using, place a sheet of edible silver leaf on the surface, silver side down, and lightly rub the back with your fingers to transfer the leaf without touching it directly. Alternatively, press extra chopped pistachios onto the warm barfi for garnish.
- Cut and Store: Cut the set barfi into diamond shapes measuring approximately 3 x 4 cm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Barfi will keep fresh for 3-4 days.
Notes
- For Almond Barfi, substitute pistachios with 75g ground almonds, add a drop of almond extract, and ¼ teaspoon saffron strands soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk for 1 hour. Add during the cooking of the khoya mixture.
- For Cashew Barfi, use 75g plain unsalted ground cashews and ¼ teaspoon saffron strands soaked similarly, added at the same stage.
- Use Jersey full cream milk or other high-fat content milk for best creaminess.
- Stir continuously while reducing milk to avoid burning and to get the right creamy texture.
- If silver leaf is not available, finely chopped nuts can add a beautiful texture and appearance.
- Store barfi in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Pistachio Barfi, Indian sweets, Khoya dessert, Mithai, Cardamom dessert, Nutty barfi recipe
