Indian · serves 2

Dry Fruit Barfi

Three nut layers pressed into one slab. A proper festival sweet, made at home.

75 min A proper cook Vegetarian No oven needed

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ground almonds
  • 1 cup ground pistachios
  • 2 cups cashews, coarsely ground
  • 500g full cream milk powder
  • 1 cup corn oil
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp condensed milk
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tbsp cardamom powder
  • Rose essence

Method

  1. Rub the oil into the milk powder until it looks like breadcrumbs, add a cup of water, and rest the dough half an hour.
  2. Boil 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water to a thick syrup, stir in the cashews and condensed milk, and keep stirring until it leaves the sides of the pan. Ghee in, then off the heat.
  3. Boil the milk with the rest of the sugar, add the rested dough gradually, then the almonds. Cook stirring until it leaves the pan.
  4. Half the almond mixture into a greased tray, flattened with an oiled spoon. Half the pistachios scattered.
  5. Cashew mixture next, flattened. Rest of the pistachios.
  6. Remaining almond mixture on top. Cool completely, then cut into diamonds.

Questions people ask about Dry Fruit Barfi

How long does Dry Fruit Barfi take?

About 75 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a proper cook. A good part of that is unattended, so you can get on with something else once it is going.

What can I use instead of cashews in Dry Fruit Barfi?

Use blanched almonds or melon seeds, soaked the same way. Almonds grind slightly grainier, so blend longer.

Can I make Dry Fruit Barfi ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Is Dry Fruit Barfi vegetarian?

Yes, it is vegetarian. It is not vegan as written because it contains dairy; swap the dairy for a plant alternative and the rest of the method is unchanged.

Can I make Dry Fruit Barfi without an oven?

That is exactly what this recipe is for. It uses a pressure cooker, a pan or the fridge instead of an oven, and the method here is written for that, not adapted from a baked version.

What do you serve with Dry Fruit Barfi?

Roti or plain rice, with something sharp on the side: curd, pickle or sliced onion. Baking is chemistry, so scale it by weight rather than by eye: double every quantity, use a tin with roughly double the area, and expect to add ten minutes or so. Judge it by the skewer, not the clock.

Don't know what to cook? Let it decide →

If you liked this

Easy Bean Sprouts Curry
65 min · A proper cook
Dal Makhani
70 min · A proper cook
Litti Chokha
70 min · A proper cook
Ashtami Prasad - Halwa, Poori, and Kala Chana
70 min · A proper cook
High-Protein Roti
70 min · A proper cook
Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk
70 min · A proper cook