I want to make barfi!

April 2, 2008 2:21 PM

I'd like to try making barfi, but I've never done it before, and the recipe I have calls for khoya, which I can't get around here. Anybody have a tried-and-true barfi recipe, a good substitute for khoya, or any tips? I was planning on making plain or pistachio flavored, but I'm open to other possibilities.
posted by bookish to food & drink (5 comments total)

No personal experience with it, but the vast majority of the recipes linked from the wikipedia page you've provided do not call for khoya. Also, have you read this or this?
posted by nzero at 2:30 PM on April 2, 2008

There are several methods for making khoya here. They seem pretty simple.
posted by donpardo at 2:31 PM on April 2, 2008

p.s. It sounds really yummy, mind checking back in after you make this and letting us know what kind you made and how it turned out?
posted by nzero at 2:31 PM on April 2, 2008

I'll be very interested in the answers to this question. I love the barfi that I've gotten from India. It is flaky and has a delicate flavor. By contrast, the barfi I've been able to get in the US tastes more like fudge. It is not at all the same thing.

Indian Barfi is made from Buffalo milk. I've heard that in the US, people make barfi from sweetened condensed milk. I don't know if it's possible to make the genuine article from cow's milk, but I hope so.
posted by alms at 2:43 PM on April 2, 2008

I ended up using a microwave recipe recommended by a friend. The result was pretty good (way better than I expected, considering the unorthodox method and ingredients). Excellent barfi flavor: rich, delicately spiced, and just a wee bit cheesy. Although the the texture was a little too fudgy, it had the slightly gritty mouthfeel I associate with barfi.

I served some at a baby shower for a Rajasthani woman, who assumed I bought it somewhere and, when she found out I made it myself, asked for the recipe. So I figure that's pretty credible.

The recipe:
1 cup whole milk
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown or white sugar
4 ounces plain cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 cups dry nonfat milk powder
1/2 teaspoon kewra water or vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed (I didn't need any)

Note: times given are for a 700 watt microwave. If you have a 1000 watt, use 70% power or otherwise improvise.

Place milk, butter, sugar in a microwavable bowl. Cook uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring once. Add cream cheese and cardamom, mix thoroughly. Fold in the dry milk powder a bit at a time. Cook for 3 1/2 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and fudgy. Stir in the kewra water/ vanilla extract. If it's too crumbly, add a little cream. While its warm, pour into a greased 8-inch-square baking pan, and smooth it down nicely. If you have decorative foil to put on top, do it now. Stick it in the fridge and let it cool and set for a while. Cut in very small squares: it's strong stuff. I was full after licking the spoon.
posted by bookish at 3:44 PM on April 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]