Badam (Almond) Halwa

Badam halwa is easily one of my most favourite sweets. Blanched almonds, pureed with milk to a smooth but not completely smooth paste, are cooked in sugar syrup with ghee. Another of my mother’s pièces de résistance, I use her method but with lesser sugar and a softer consistency as preferred in my family. My mother garnishes it with cashew pieces fried in ghee and uses saffron, raw camphor and cardamom powder for flavouring. Since we have relatives who are allergic to cashews, I have stopped the cashew nut garnish – unlike for some other dishes, it CAN be eliminated in this one without any compromise in taste.

Any nut lover will like this dessert. It hits the spot in terms of flavour, a clean mouth feel and overall satisfaction. The moment I add the flavouring agents to the cooking halwa, my children will materialise, from wherever they are, to find out what’s cooking. Shining eyes? You will see my kids’ positively sparkle upon seeing badam halwa. 🙂

Ingredients:

1 tsp saffron crushed and soaked in 2 tbsp milk and ideally soaked overnight in fridge (brings out the maximum colour and flavour)

1 cup raw whole badam (almonds)

¾ to 1 cup milk

1 cup white granulated sugar

1/3 cup water (for sugar syrup)

½ cup ghee

½ tsp cardamom powder – optional

Pinch of raw (cooking) camphor, powdered – optional (Please note that this is NOT the camphor used for poojas which is deadly poisonous. Trust me. I know.)

Modus Operandi:

In a pressure cooker, add the badam. Add enough water to cover and cook for one whistle (you could boil it in a regular pan too). Let the vessel come to room temperature naturally. Skin all the almonds. Grind skinned almonds to a paste (to a fine rava (cream of wheat) consistency) with sufficient milk. I used about 1 cup of milk.

Cook sugar in 1/3 cup water for 9 whistles in the pressure cooker (sugar syrup hack courtesy Rama Krishnan) – put the weight on initially itself and set heat on highest setting. Release pressure immediately by pulling out the whistle at once or slowly. Add the almond paste. Turn stove on at medium heat and stir continuously until incorporated without lumps. Add the ghee in portions – when almost soft ball stage (drop a little in room temperature water – it should form a very soft ball), add in the crushed saffron milk. It will immediately impart a beautiful yellowish orange colour to the halwa. Once fully incorporated, turn off stove and add in cardamom powder and/or camphor. Stir. Let it cool. Can be served warm or at room temperature.