Instead of going out and buying mass produced sweets this Diwali, why not make them at home with your own hands. It is sure to impress your friends and family. This is also a great way to the exhibit the spirit of this festive season.But you don’t need Diwali as an excuse to make a delicious Indian sweet. Many health experts advise one to increase their intake of ghee and sugar during the winter months. The practice of having two spoons of Badam (Almond) Sheera and a glass of milk in the morning is not just an old wives’ tale. There are health benefits to doing so and many doctors prescribe this practice. In any case, it’s not as though we need a reason to eat mithai every day!
To persuade you further, Badam Sheera is one of the quickest things to make. This yummy sweet dish will take you no more than 20 minutes to whip up.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almonds, blanched
- 2/3 cup milk
- 8 tbsps sugar
- 6 tbsps ghee/clarified butter
- ½ tsp elaichi/cardamom powder
- A few strands of saffron
- chopped almonds for garnishing (optional)
Procedure:
1. Purée the almonds along with 2 tablespoons of milk to a smooth paste.
2. Melt ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add almond paste and cook for 6-7 minutes on medium to low flame, stirring continuously. Cook till it reaches a wonderful light-golden color and releases an aroma.
3. Rub the saffron in 1 tsp of warm water and keep aside.
4. Combine the milk and saffron water and bring to a boil. Add to the almond mixture (that is still cooking) and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add sugar, raisins and cardamom powder and keep stirring continuously till all the sugar dissolves and the ghee separates from the sides of the pan. By this time, all the excess water should have dried off too.
A smart tip is to keep the gas on low heat when adding milk to the mixture. This will prevent it from turning lumpy. To give it a festive touch, sprinkle some chopped almonds. Cut into an interesting diamond shape. For a final flourish, arrange the pieces in concentric circles or any other appealing pattern and top it off with some tiny marigolds to add some color.
Happy Diwali!