Indian
Gluten freeBadam ka halwa
Almond 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.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 6
- Per serving
- 500 kcal
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
Tick what you have; the rest goes in the basket.
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
KrazyBadal
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Perfect for:DiwaliWinter warmers