Badam Ka Halwa (Almond Halwa)
Badam ka Halwa made from almonds is a delicacy rooted in Indian tradition. Make it on special occasions and savor the unparalleled richness of this dessert. This quick and easy recipe for badam halwa reduces the time by more than half, by drying the almonds in a microwave instead of roasting it in a pan for hours; making it easier to roast the almond paste without it sticking to the pan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds , soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup ghee
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp milk
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- pinch of saffron
- pistachio , crushed
- edible flowers , rose and marigold
Instructions
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Wash and soak the almonds for at least 2-3 hours (ideally overnight) in warm water. Peel the almonds and then grind them in a food processor.
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Add a little water while grinding, making sure not to make it too runny. In terms of the texture, you can make it a fine paste.
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When the paste is ready, melt your ghee and add it to the food processor. Now blend it lightly with a single churn of the food processor to incorporate it into the almond paste. This allows it to brown evenly on the stove without sticking.
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Transfer the almond paste into a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 2 minutes on high power, making sure it’s covered. Remove it from the microwave, stir it well, and repeat the process once more, i.e. microwave covered for 2 minutes and stir. Make sure the mixture is microwaved with a cover in this step, otherwise the paste will splatter all over.
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Now, we will microwave the mixture uncovered for 2 minutes and then stir well to break any lumps. Keep repeating this step till the water has fully evaporated. Make sure the microwave is done only in two minute intervals, otherwise the mixture will burn. Also, the mixture will be uncovered in this step to speed up the drying process. Please be careful not to over dry the mixture otherwise it will turn chewy and lumpy. The mixture will typically be ready in 3 to 4 times of microwaving, depending on the strength of your microwave.
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Once the water has fully evaporated, transfer the mixture to a heavy bottom saucepan on medium heat. Continuously stir the mixture until the color resembles that of an almond’s skin.
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Add water, stir the mixture for one minute, and add the sugar. Continue to stir for 5-7 minutes until the mixture comes together and some ghee lines the edges of the halwa.
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About 4-5 minutes or halfway into this process add in saffron milk, a mixture of saffron and milk.
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Once the mixture starts to come off of the edges of the pan and the ghee starts to come out visibly, turn the flame off. Garnish with some nuts and edible flowers (i.e. rose and marigold) and your badam ka halwa is ready!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- I use the microwave to dry the almonds first before roasting it in the pan. This reduces the roasting time by 50% and makes the roasting process easier, since the mixture will not stick to the pan any more. However, if you don't want to use a microwave, you can skip the microwave steps and straightway roast the mixture in a heavy bottom pan, but it will take a much longer time and lot of effort.
- Make sure that the microwave steps are carried only in 2 minutes interval and stirred after every step, otherwise the mixture will burn and/or become chewy and lumpy.
- The mixture should be roasted in a heavy bottom pan on medium heat only.
- I have mixed the water and sugar separately, but you can also make a sugar syrup by boiling 1 cup water and half cup sugar till the sugar dissolves. Then add the lukewarm sugar syrup to the mixture.