Besan (Bengal Gram Flour) Burfi With Clotted Cream Or Malai
Besan Malai Burfi Or Panjiri
Sushma Agarwal
Note from mamta: This tasty recipe comes from sister in-law Sushma, who is an excellent vegetarian cook. She lives in Jaipur and serves excellent meals, snacks and desserts to everyone who visits her house, a very generous spirit. The word Barfi/Burfi isd used for sweets that are alat squares or diamonds, often, but nt always, bade on milk solids. She makes i8t with Malai, the thick milk skin that forms at the top of the boiled milk as it cools down. Here, I have used Cloted Cream instead, nearest in taste to Malai.
Makes 18-20 (number depends on the size you cut them)
Ingredients
1 cup Besan or Bengal gram flour
1 Cup fresh Malai or Clotted cream
1-2 tbsp milk, if needed, see step4
1 /2 cup or less fine sugar
1/2 tsp. crushed green cardamoms/illaichi
1 full tbsp. chopped almonds/green pistachios/cashew nuts
A flat tray, greased lightly. I use a stainless steel burfi tray, but you can use what you have.
Instructions
Heat a heavy bottomed wok or karahi.
Sieve the besan flour into it (to remove any lumps) and dry fry on medium heat, stirring very frequently. You want it evenly roasted, not burnt. It will change colour to lightly brown and you will get a nutty aroma when properly roasted . Don?t be in a hurry, Besan needs to be well fried, not raw. Keep it aside.
If using Malai, heat it gently and then sieve it to remove any ?bits. If you are using clotted cream, you don?t need to do this. Just heat it in a pan.
If clotted cream or malai is a bit stiff, add a couple of tablespoons of milk to it. Keep it aside.
Add sugar and cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously, until it begins to thicken a little.
Add besan/gram flour and cardamom powder. Stir continuously till it begins to come off the pan a little. If you think it is getting a bit lumpy, use a metal whisk to break them up.
Add and stir in half the chopped nuts.
Pour into the greased tray, sprinkle and let it cool down completely.
Cut into square or diamond shapes and store in a box. Serve with tea/coffee or after a meal.
