Barfi with Instant Milk Powder is the easiest Indian sweet fudge to make with just 3 ingredients and comes together quickly. Extremely delicious and packed with intense milk flavor. The tempting aroma of ghee and cardamom, decked with nuts, saffron strands and rose petal makes all this it truly a royal Indian sweet treat. Ideal star of the show mithai to celebrate any occasion or Indian festival like Rakshabandhan, Dusherra, Diwali etc.
Growing up in an Indian household, milk powder was always present in our kitchen. It was used to make Indian chai at home when mom ran out of fresh milk .But I would use it up to make anything sweet instantly instead of sugar. Fruits, soaked cookie pudding or just by itself as a snack. You don't want to know how many times I got yelled at for finishing pantry stock of milk powder too quickly :)). It's making me so nostalgic when I write this post.
Milk based sweets are very traditional in India but hard and tricky to make. This one is your cheat sheet fail proof method of making burfi. You cold easily pull off this recipe when you need ideas for Indian theme potlucks or your child's cultural school event like international cuisine day, Office parties or lunches, picnics etc. Barfi transports easily without spills simply serve on a cupcake liner. No utensils needed, no -mess.
Why you should try this recipe :
This barfi is a very quick and easy version of traditional recipe you should have in your recipe collection. It is like a milk powder magic that comes together so quickly and such a crowd-pleaser. Trust me ..I have such good response from all age groups!
- Taste : This milk powder fudge tastes so divine. The milk cardamom and ghee flavor together is simply to die for.
- Texture: The texture of the burfi is firm yet break off easily when bit into. It simply melts in the mouth
- Time : This instant milk powder sweet comes together very quickly unlike the traditional whole milk burfi which requires a lot of churning.
- Ease : A no-fuss sweet delight to make with simple ingredients that are easily available year round. A quick and easy Indian sweet to make without any expertise. When you want to make something special for your guests burfi is the way to go.
SECRETS FOR MAKING BEST MILK POWDER BURFI
While the recipe is simple keeping in mind these simple things can give a rich and creamy barfi β
- MILK POWDER - The quality of the milk powder is very important as the taste of the burfi is entirely depend on the creamy milk flavor. Using a full cream milk powder will result in the best tasting burfi. Non fat dairy substitutes will ruin the recipe. Been there done that!
- SUGAR β Sugar is the key ingredient in firming the burfi and giving the right texture. Hence the consistency of sugar syrup should be closely watched while cooking.
- DO NOT keep STIRRING the sugar once the granules have dissolved. This will break the sugar bond and make it too watery.
- The denser the syrup the harder the burfi gets. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved else the burfi will have grainy sugar texture.
- Milk powder is slightly sweet hence add sugar as per taste.
- Remember sugar syrup can burn your fingers so be cautious when you check the one string consistency.
- Do not add liquid milk as this reduces the shelf life of the burfi.
- Do not add too much ghee just two tsp would be enough.
- Make it into rounds and use molds to give it a shape.
- Garnish β Use any dry fruit or nuts as garnish or just add a strand of saffron Go for the fun twist with sprinkles or tutti frutti too. The burfi tastes really good without any garnish.
The milk powder is added to the sugar syrup and when it thickens to the right consistency the burfi is set. While the traditional method involves churning the milk for hours to bring it to a thick consistency the milk powder fastens the process by manifolds.
Ingredients list :
Very important notes for getting right texture :
The correct texture of milk powder burfi :
The burfi should not be rock hard like chikki nor soft and squishy. It should be firm and hold the shape well and break off easily when u bite into it.
What can go wrong while making burfi ?
1. Burfi mixture is dry and not setting?
If the burfi mixture is past the setting stage and all the moisture is gone then it will remain crumbly and will not set well when cool.
Solution - Sprinkle some milk return it to the pan on a low heat when it comes to a sticky stage remove and reset the burfi on the tray. Remember once you use liquid milk the shelf life is reduced to one day. Refrigerate the leftovers.
2. Burfi mixture is soggy and not setting ?
If the burfi mixture has a lot of moisture and not forming a lump and is soggy even after cooling down then it means you have stirred for too long and broken the sugar bond.
Solution - Add a tbsp or two of milk powder to the mixture and return it to the pan on a low heat when most of the moisture has dried up add a tbsp of sugar as soon as the mixture is sticky reset the burfi on the tray.
*Use a non stick pan for making burfee
Steps for making Barfi with Instant milk powder :
Grease the tray and keep it ready as you won't get time after the barfi is ready to be transferred. Remove skin of nuts and slice as per requirement and keep it ready.
Make sure the sugar syrup reaches one string consistency. Remember do not stir too much once the sugar has dissolved.
Adding too much ghee will make the burfi very soft and chewy and hard to keep the shape. Mix the milk powder into sugar mixture so that all the lumps break this ensures even cooking and smooth cubes.
The mixture has to be cooked only until it thickens lightly and still in a thick pourable consistency. Make shapes or slices when the mixture is hot as the mixture will harden quickly. Cut the shape first then lightly press the garnishes on top this ensure it adheres to the burfi and nuts don't sit on the ends and break unevenly while separating slices.
Serving and storage :
Serve : Serve this milk burfi as an after meal sweet instead of heavy puddings and pies. This Indian sweet meat serves as a portion controlled bite-sized individual sweet treat.
Make ahead : While fresh burfi tastes the best you could make a day in advance and leave it in air tight container on the counter in cold climate. In hotter weather ghee tends to get rancid fast hence refrigeration is recommended
Storage and left overs :: Store in airtight container and refrigerate after a day or two to preserve freshness. During refrigeration make sure to keep in a spot where it is not too cold as the burfi can solidify and harden too much.
Note : In cold climates the milk powder can stay good without refrigeration in an air tight container on counter top for up to 7 days.
Other popular recipes :
You will find a variety of milk powder of milk based recipes on the blog :
The miniature sweet fudges shaped like apples and pumpkins have been ever popular on the blog. New additions was Pumpkin flavored fudge. But very traditional recipes for Coconut burfi , Cashew nut burfi Besan ladoo, Sesame seed brittles etc are always on demand.
Check out detailed recipes to see how you can achieve shapes without using any special shaping mold but by using everyday items you will find at home.
Instant Milk Powder Burfi
Ingredients
- 2 cups Instant milk powder Dairy based, whole milk - (16 oz )powder form
- 3/4 - 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Water Do not increase too much as the burfi will turn too soft
- 2 tsp Ghee Extra for greasing the tray
- 4 pods Cardamom Freshly powdered
Garnish
- 12 Pistachios peeled and sliced
- 6 Almonds peeled and sliced
- Few Rose petals dried
- Few Saffron strands
Instructions
- Soak the nuts in warm water for 10 minutes. Rub gently to peel off the skin. Slice into small pieces. Keep aside to dry. This is optional. If you like the skin then skip this step.
- Grease a flat square tray or dish with ghee OR line with parchment paper and keep this ready.
- Mix the cardamom powdered with the milk powder and keep it ready.
- In a heavy bottom non stick pan add 1/2 cup water bring it to a boil and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved reduce heat to low and allow it to thicken to one string consistency. Keep checking every few minutes as it will thicken pretty fast.
- Add 2 tsp ghee to the sugar syrup. Add the milk powder mix and stir well until there are no lumps. Give this mixture a few minutes to thicken and leave the sides of the pan, keep stirring. Immediately transfer to the greased tray.
- When the mixture is still hot run the knife to cut the square or shapes of your choice. Grease the knife with a few drops of ghee to avoid the mixture sticking to the knife before cutting for perfect edges. Immediately arrange the sliced nuts rose petals and saffron on each piece aiming to the center. Allow the mixture to cool down well for two hours and harden slightly. Separate the squares and serve.
Notes
- Using the milk powder with intense milk flavor made with whole milk can make or break the recipe.
- The sugar syrup consistency is very important for the correct texture of barfi.
- Perfect barfi texture Β -The Β burfi should not be rock hard likeΒ chikkiΒ nor soft and squishy. It should be firm and hold the shape well and break off easily when u bite into it.
Do try this Barfi with Instant Milk powder and let me know how you liked this celebration ready Indian sweet meat.
Meena
Shamaem
Loved it πππππ
elephantsncoconuttrees
Thank you so much for the feedback.
Elizabeth
Loved it
elephantsncoconuttrees
Thank you so much for the feedback.