Badam Halwa - almond pudding
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups of almonds (See notes for substitute)
  • 1-1/2 cups milk
  • ¼ cup clarified butter or Olive Oil
  • ½ tsp saffron strands (optional)
  • 2 tbsp rose water or plain water
  • ¼ cup of other nuts of your choice (I used cashews and raisins)
  • 1 - 3 cups sugar
  • ¼ tsp cardamom powder
Instructions
  1. Soak almonds and overnight in enough water to immerse them. In the morning, peel them by simply holding them between your thumb and forefinger and push the seed forward, leaving the skin behind between your fingers.
  2. Grind them coarsely with milk and cardamom powder into a thick paste. It should not be runny.
  3. Warm the rose/plain water slightly. Soak half of the saffron in rose/plain water and keep aside.
  4. Chop half of the nuts into coarse pieces. Reserve a few of them whole.
  5. Heat clarified butter/oil in a skillet (cast iron works best, but non stick works very well too).
  6. Add the whole nuts.
  7. Add the paste and and stir well. Fry till it is golden. Keep stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
  8. The mixture will start to splatter as the liquid begins to dry up. When stirring, make sure to do it with a long spatula to prevent burns.
  9. When it starts to calm down, know that the mixture is cooked.
  10. At this point, ad a the rose water soaked with saffron. Cook till it is nicely mixed and dry.
  11. Add 1 cup of sugar. (See notes)
  12. The pudding will start getting a glaze and will not stick to the bottom at all.
  13. Transfer to a dish and let it cool. If you want, you can press it, cool it and shape them into balls or cut into squares.
  14. Sprinkle rest of the saffron and chopped nuts.
NOTES:
  1. You can substitute raw almonds with 1.5 cups of almond meal. Make sure they are not mixed with anything else.
  2. Add sugar per your taste. This dessert can consume upto 3 cups of sugar. I always taste and add. I also add Agave nectar or honey at times, but the taste is best with white granulated sugar.
  3. Rose water gives it a distinctive taste. Try both ways and see which one your palate appreciates more.
Recipe by The Lady 8 Home at https://www.thelady8home.com/badam-halwa-almond-pudding/