Badam (Almond) Halwa

Directions

• Soak almonds in lukewarm water for about one hour and remove the skin. Grind the peeled almonds to a coarse paste using little milk.
• Take a thick bottomed pan (preferably non-stick). Add the sugar and the ground almond paste into it and then switch on the stove and keep it on medium flame. First the sugar starts melting and the mixture looks liquid.
• Stir continuously until the contents become solid and leaves the sides of the vessel. (To test the halwa, put little halwa on a plate and try to make a soft ball. When it comes like a soft ball without sticking in your fingers, that is the right consistency). Then switch off the stove.
• Add two tablespoon of ghee on the halwa. Ghee melt in the heat of the halwa.
• Add saffron and cardamom powder and mix everything.
• Now add the remaining ghee and once again mix well and transfer it to a greased bowl.
• Note:
• There is no need of adding any colour or almond essence to the halwa. However, if you desire you can add two to three drops of essence and yellow food colour.
• Alternate method
• Boil 2 cups milk along with few saffron strings for few minutes.
• Then add the ground almond paste to the boiling milk and stir continuously till it is slightly thick.
• Then add sugar and stir continuously till you get the desired consistency.
• Add ghee and mix it well and remove. This way you will get very soft halwa.
• In both the cases, the halwa should not be overcooked, it should be thick flowing consistency.