This Milk Powder Barfi has a crumbly texture just like the Barfi you would find at a mithaiwala or halwai. The special technique found in this Barfi recipe gets you perfect results every single time.

BARFI

What is Barfi/Barfee

Barfi is a milk-based Indian sweet.

It has few ingredients. It can be made from either milk powder or khoya (a milk solid produced by heating milk until the moisture evaporates). Milk and sugar are also components of barfi.

Milk Powder Barfi 

My Mum learned this recipe from a friend of my Dads about 2 decades ago. Since then, she has never made plain milk barfi using any other recipe and she swears by this method and measurements.

Every time, she achieved the best crumbliest barfi.

Naturally, I had to try my hand at it too!

It is:

✔️Suitable for vegetarians

✔️Gluten-free (check your milk powder is suitable)

✔️Perfect results - every. time.

✔️Easy to find ingredients

✔️Packed with a medley of delicious nuts and aromatic cardamom

✔️Makes a wonderful and thoughtful homemade gift

The texture of Peda vs Barfi

Both peda and barfi may seem similar but they definitely have their differences.

Peda or Penda/Pedha has a soft, chewy yet melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Our Rajkot na Peda are an example of this smooth texture.

The best barfi or burfee has a crumbly texture that feels almost flakey. This unique texture arises from the ghee (clarified butter) which shortens the milk powder, giving it that particular finish. The nuts also play their hand too.

Chocolate and Peanut Barfi and Millionnaire Shortbread Barfi are examples.

Pedas and Barfis are often described as Indian fudge. And to some extent, that is the most similar this Indian sweet can get to a British sweet.

We did a fusion recipe and took Cornish clotted cream and Indian Peda to make Clotted Cream Peda

Barfi with Condensed Milk

Low on time. No problem.

Instead of heating milk and sugar, use ready-made condensed milk.

Heat the condensed milk in a heavy bottom pan. Do not heat for long as the condensed milk is already cooked. As soon as it heats, add the milk powder and follow the next steps.

Can I use Khoya or Mawa instead of milk powder?

Definitely yes, just dry roast the khoya for a few minutes before making milk and sugar mixture.

When to make/serve Barfi?

Barfi can be prepared for festivals, celebrations, given as a gift or can be made just because. It is a versatile sweet.

🥛 Milk Powder Barfi Ingredients

Milk Powder - easy to find in British and Asian grocery stores. Try to use the full cream variety rather than skimmed

Milk - use whole milk

Sugar - granulated white sugar works best

Ghee - homemade ghee or desi ghee works.

Nuts - finely chopped or semi-powdered.

Cardamom powder - can be added to the nuts and ground together

💡Tips on How to make Barfi-shop style

The step where we add the ghee to the milk powder and leave it for a while is to help shorten the milk powder and get that flakey texture.

The texture when cooking to look out for when cooking is when the mixture just starts leaving the edge of the pan.

Serving:

Serve on its own or after a meal.

Decorate with beautiful vark - edible real silver

Storing:

Do not store in the fridge, it will stay fresh for 3-4 days at room temperature.

Keep in a container - check for any residual smells in the container, and keep covered.

Wait until the barfi has completely cooled before completely covering and storing away

📝Method:

This plain barfi is made in three steps.

First STEP - Shorten the milk powder

Take milk powder in a bowl (pic 1).

Add ghee (pic 2).

Then add milk (pic 3).

Mix with your fingertips and leave it aside for half an hour (pic 4).

Second STEP

Make Milk Chasni or Condensed Milk

Take sugar in a heavy base pan or kadai (pic 4).

Add milk (pic 5).

Let it mix (pic 6).

Stir with a spatula on low heat (pic 7).

The milk will go very runny and watery, don't worry. This is because sugar has melted (pic 8)

Cook the mixture till it goes thick just like condensed milk (pic 9).

Third STEP

Cook Barfi Mixture and Set

While making milk chasni, dry roast the milk powder in another pan for a couple of minutes or in the microwave for a minute or so without burning. 

Add roasted milk powder in the chasni (pic 10).

Mix and stir to bring the mixture together (pic 11).

In less than a minute the mixture will come together (pic 12-13)

Add ground nuts and cardamom powder (pic 14).

Mix well at this stage the mixture will leave the pan, turn off the heat. (pic 15). -

Add little ghee and mix (pic 16-17).

Spread in greased thali or tray lined with parchment paper. (pic 18)

Apply silver edible foil aka chandi ka varq (optional) and let it cool completely, then cut (pic 19)

Other Indian Mithai/Sweets

Besan Ladoo Halwai Style

Peanut Katli

Sweet Vermicelli without Milk

Churma Ladoo with Sugar

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🖶 Recipe Card 

Barfi, milk powder barfi, easy barfi recipe, milk fudge

Dessert, snacks

Indian

Yield: 6 BIG PIECES

Author: Hayley Dhanecha

Print

BARFI

This delightful Barfi recipe is super easy and straightforward and made with only a few ingredients.

Prep time: 30 MCook time: 15 MTotal time: 45 M

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup full cream milk powder
• 3/4 cup whole milk + 2 tbsp. more
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup crushed nuts (almond, cashew and pistachio)
• 2 tsp. ghee
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder

Equipment/Tools

• Heavy base pan or kadai
• Spatula 
• Tray
• Knife

Instructions:

1. Mix milk powder with 2 tbsp milk and 1 tsp. ghee and leave aside for 1/2 hour.
2. Dry roast the powder mix in a pan over the stove for a couple of minutes without burning, or in the microwave for 1 minute.
3. Now heat 3/4 cup milk and sugar on low heat until looks like condensed milk.
4. Add roasted milk powder in the milk and quickly stir and mix.
5. Then add crushed nuts and cardamom powder and mix.
6. As soon as the mixture starts leaving the pan, add remaining ghee and turn off the heat.
7. Spread evenly on the greased plate and allow it to cool, you may stick some silver edible foil if you want.
8. Let it cool completely and cut into the desired shape. 
9. Enjoy!

Notes:

Nuts allergy? you can totally avoid it if you want. Instead, add the same amount of milk powder.
Love saffron, add a few strands of when making milk chasni.

Calories
200.82

Fat (grams)
10.42

Sat. Fat (grams)
3.56

Carbs (grams)
23.46

Fiber (grams)
0.81

Net carbs
22.66

Sugar (grams)
21.72

Protein (grams)
5.13

Sodium (milligrams)
70.04

Cholesterol (grams)
12.79

The nutritional information provided is an approximation calculated by an online calculator. Please consult a professional dietitian for nutritional advice.

https://www.jcookingodyssey.com/2010/04/something-sweet-barfi-for-my-better.html

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Note - this recipe originally posted on 09th April 2010, since we have updated the post with newer images and content.