Badam Halwa

‘Badam Halwa’ is a rich, traditional Indian sweet that melts in the mouth and is heavenly in taste. One of the most popular Indian sweets prepared during festivals like Diwali. It is also one of the mainstays in weddings.. especially in South Indian weddings..
I have followed my grandma’s recipe, which is tried and tested for over many decades by my family. Though badams are extremely healthy especially in winters, this recipe calls for lots of ghee and double the ratio of sugar to badam. I feel, once in a while during festivals, we have to treat ourselves with this kind of sinful but delectable sweet!!
I have used a big pinch of saffron to enhance the colour and aroma of the halwa. Good quality saffron renders great taste to the halwa. To test the quality of the saffron, soak few strands in lukewarm milk. If the saffron is pure, milk turns pale yellow and the saffron strands retains their colour. If the saffron is impure, then the milk becomes orange or bright yellow in colour and the saffron strands becomes pale.
The quality of badam and desi ghee also plays a good role in enhancing the taste and texture of this halwa. I have used pure cow’s ghee of a reputed brand. We can also use homemade ghee if possible.
For beginners, I would like to mention that this method needs lots of stirring the halwa in low flame. It consumes lots of time.. but it is worth the effort as this method yields more quantity of halwa than any other method and needless to say it is so delectable in taste!

Servings: 25
Time: 90 mins
Difficulty: Medium

‘Badam Halwa’ is a rich, traditional Indian sweet that melts in the mouth and is heavenly in taste. I have followed my grandma’s recipe, which is tried and tested for over many decades by my family

Ingredients

Badam – 200 gms
Sugar – 2 cups (400 gms)
Ghee – 2 cups +1\4 cup (appr 550 ml)
Full cream Milk – 1 cup + 1\2 cup (1 cup for grinding badam &
Saffron – a big pinch

Directions

Soak badam in hot water for 30 mins. Drain the water and peel the skin.
Grind it into a thick, coarse paste using 1 cup of milk. Please take care not to grind it finely.
Soak saffron in 1\2 cup of lukewarm milk. Keep it covered.
In a thick bottom kadai, mix badam paste and sugar, keep stirring in low flame.
When the sugar dissolves, lots of bubbles will appear. Keep stirring continuously.
When the bubbles decrease, (one or two is fine) add the saffron milk. The colour of the halwa changes to light yellow as soon we add the saffron milk and once again the bubbles start appearing. Keep stirring.
When the halwa sticks to the sides of the kadai, add melted ghee, 1\4 cup at a time.
The ghee gets absorbed into the halwa at once. Keep on adding 1\4 cup of ghee and stir till we are done with the whole amount of ghee (2 1\4 cups).
At this point, the halwa thickens and it starts oozing out with ghee. 10. Switch off the flame. Give a good stir for a minute and let it cool.
The halwa thickens even more as it cools down. Transfer it into a clean container.
We can wrap the halwa in small servings using a butter sheet or it can be served in small bowls too.

To test the quality of the saffron, soak few strands in lukewarm milk. If the saffron is pure, milk turns pale yellow and the saffron strands retains their colour. If the saffron is impure, then the milk becomes orange or bright yellow in colour and the saffron strands becomes pale.