- Submitted by Dahlia
(Badam Katli, Badam Cake, Almond Halwa, Badam ka Sheera, Badam Halva)
I am a great addict to sweets and my children have also happily inherited the same. But, as they grow older there is always an urge to incorporate nutrition in every dish we cook. In such an urge, I came upon a healthy, yummy, mouth-watering sweet dish called Badam halwa. I had first tasted the yummiest Badam halwa in my distant relatives function. My father- in- law being connoisseur in cooking went to the kitchen and learnt the recipe from the cook. It was a great motivation for him to make Badam halwa as my 4 year old son relished it very much.
Badam halwa, as said earlier, is healthy, tasty and mouth-watering and is also easy to cook. Though it takes time to cook, it is easy, as nothing can go wrong in this recipe. All you need to do is to make it in a heavy bottomed non stick pan. Badam halwa can be prepared on any festive occasion like Diwali, Durga puja or even Iftaar. Badam or almonds is a nut, that though is high in calories has numerous nutritive benefits. Badam is rich in proteins and good fats and fiber due which consumption of Badam aids in weight loss. Because of the availability of riboflavin and L-cartine, it boosts the brain functioning and also reduces the risk of serious brain diseases. Almonds also enhance the gastro intestinal function due to the high fiber present and its prebiotic properties. Ghee, according to the renowned nutritionist is a super food. Addition of ghee in a sweet dish regulates the blood sugars and reduces the glycemic index in foods. This ensures that there is a slow and steady rise in blood sugar levels. Kesar or saffron, in addition to giving a beautiful color to the dish, also gives a distinctive flavour in the halwa. So, in reality, what we think to be of high calorie sweet dish, are actually rich in nutrition and do some amazing things to our skin and body.
So, set out to make this sweet dish in your grand day and let it make a beginning of all sweet things to arrive. Cheers!!
Recipe for Badam Halwa
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- Almonds - 1 cup (around 80 almonds)
- Milk - 3-4 tbsp
- Water - 1/4 cup
- Ghee - 3 tbsp
- Sugar - 1 cup (or as needed)
- Saffron - a pinch
- Kesari Powder/ Yellow food colour - a pinch
Method
- Soak the almonds in hot water for 2 hours and peel the skin off the almonds. To make it faster, boil the almonds with the water for 15-20 minutes and peel them or use store bought peeled almonds.
- Grind the almonds in a blender or mixie along with the milk to make a paste. Add very little milk just to help the mixie moving.
- Heat the sugar with 1/4 cup of water in a heavy bottomed pan. Bring it to boil to make a simple syrup.(Note:- It is best to use a non stick pan to prevent sticking at the bottom.)
- Add the milk-almond paste and keep stirring constantly to prevent it from getting burnt at the bottom. It will thicken very quickly.
- Add saffron strands and food color while mixing it. When the mixture cooks, there can be lot of hot splattering, so keep a lid handy.
- Once it thickens, keep adding ghee little by little (1 tsp at a time) and keep stirring continuously. When the splattering reduces, it is an indication that the mixture is almost cooked.
- Continue mixing until the halwa no longer sticks to the pan and forms a single mass. It starts shining with the ghee separating out as tiny droplets. (The perfect Halwa consistency!!!)
- Garnish with fresh nuts.Almond halwa is ready to be served.
Serving Badam Halwa
- Serve the warm badam halwa as such or top it with some vanilla ice cream.
- Another option is to spread the halwa in a flat tray when it is still hot. Refrigerate it for a while till it hardens a bit. Then cut in into square shapes and serve as badam cake or badam katli.
More Halwa Recipes