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Badam ka halwa
बादाम का हलवा: ground soaked almonds slow-cooked in ghee with milk, sugar and saffron, a Jaipur wedding sweet
In Jaipur, badam ka halwa came out of the royal kitchens and now appears at winter weddings and on cold nights when someone wants a real treat. Soaked, peeled almonds are ground to a coarse paste and cooked slowly in ghee with milk, sugar and saffron until the halwa turns golden, glossy and leaves the sides of the pan. It is very rich, so a small bowl is enough. The common mistake is grinding the almonds too fine, which gives a pasty halwa instead of a soft, grainy one. Chef's tip: stop grinding when the almonds look like wet semolina and add the milk only during grinding, never water.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the halwa
- 7 oz almondssoaked overnight and peeled
- 1 cup milk
- 3 ½ oz ghee
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 12 saffron strandssoaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp pistachios (optional)slivered
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Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Melt 3 ½ oz ghee in a heavy non-stick pan, add the almond paste and cook on low heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes until it turns light golden and smells toasted.
15 minStep 3: Pour in the rest of the milk and stir until it is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
5 minStep 4: Add 5 ½ oz sugar and 12 saffron strands; the halwa will loosen. Keep cooking and stirring for 8–10 minutes until it thickens, turns glossy and the ghee separates and pools at the edges.
10 minStep 5: Stir in ½ tsp ground cardamom, top with 1 tbsp pistachios and serve warm.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 500 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does badam ka halwa take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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