Milk Barfi
Soft, fudge-like squares of milk powder, milk, sugar and ghee flavoured with cardamom and topped with pistachios.
Photograph credit: Milk Barfi by Sengolkural · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Milk Barfi: Step by Step
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Grease a 15 cm square tin.
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Put the milk powder, milk, sugar and ghee in a non-stick pan over a low heat. Stir constantly for about 15 minutes until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides.
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Stir in the cardamom and cook for 2 minutes more.
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Press into the tin, smooth the top and scatter with the pistachios. Leave to set for 1 hour, then cut into 16 squares.
Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.
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Keep an Eye on These
- Keep the heat low and stir all the time to stop lumps and sticking.
- Do not overcook; the barfi firms up as it cools.
- Use a hot, dry knife to cut clean squares.
About This Recipe
A sweet for Diwali, for a birthday, or for the afternoon someone brings round a box and you want to make a better one. Milk barfi is simple, and it uses milk powder instead of hours of reducing milk.
The method is quick. Milk, milk powder, sugar and ghee go into a non-stick pan over a low heat, and you stir. The mixture goes lumpy, then smooth, then thick, and after about 15 minutes it pulls away from the sides into one mass. That is the moment to stop. Cook it further and the barfi turns dry and crumbly.
Before it goes into the tin, test a little on a cold plate: it should hold together and feel soft, not sticky. Cardamom is stirred in just before pouring.
Press the mixture into a greased tin, smooth the top, and scatter with chopped pistachios. Leave it to set for 1 hour. Cut into squares with a hot knife. The texture is soft and fudgy, and the barfi keeps for several days.
What to Serve It With
Masala chai · Gulab jamun · Saffron milk · Fresh fruit
Keeping Milk Barfi
Keeps in an airtight tin for 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Quick Answers
How long does Milk Barfi take to make?
10 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour of Setting, so allow 1 hour 35 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 16.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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