Chocolate Orange And Vanilla Cardamom Barfi
3
- Prep Time1 hr
- Total Time1 hr
- Makes16 to 20 pieces
Photography by Reena Newman. Excerpted from New Indian Basics: 100 Traditional and Modern Recipes From Arvinda’s Family Kitchen by Preena Chauhan and Arvinda Chauhan. Copyright © 2022 Preena Chauhan. Cover and Book Design by Andrew Roberts. Photography by Reena Newman. Published in Canada by Appetite by Random House, a Division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by Arrangement With the Publisher. All Rights Reserved.
This is a new and special combination I created especially for my brother, Paresh, who is the biggest chocolate lover I know and who also fancies the flavour of orange. I’m adopting this classic pairing of chocolate and orange and applying it to our traditional barfi recipe so it’s modern, exquisite and exceptionally decadent with vanilla, dark chocolate and a hint of juicy citrus. —Preena Chauhan, co-author, New Indian Basics: 100 Traditional and Modern Recipes From Arvinda’s Family Kitchen
Ingredients
1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1⁄2 cups whole milk powder
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp green cardamom seeds, finely ground
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp finely slivered pistachios, for garnish
Chocolate Topping
3 1⁄2 oz dark chocolate, (70% cocoa), chopped
3 1⁄2 oz milk chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp salted butter
2 tbsp half-and-half cream
1 tsp orange blossom water
Instructions
Line an 8-in.-diameter, 1-in.-deep stainless-steel plate with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large non-stick skillet on medium-low heat, melt the ghee. Stir in the icing sugar to combine.
Sift in the milk powder and mix to combine. Add the cream, almond flour, cardamom and vanilla and stir so all the ingredients are well incorporated. Remove the barfi from the pan, and once it is cool enough to handle, knead it with your hands on a clean surface so all the mixture comes together.
Press the barfi into the prepared plate and smooth it out into an even layer. You can use the bottom of a small stainless-steel bowl or a spatula to compress the mixture firmly into the plate.
Topping: Melt the chocolates using a double boiler (see Kitchen tip). Once the chocolate is smooth and melted, stir in the butter. Add the half-and-half cream and orange blossom water and stir to combine. The chocolate topping should be glossy.
Using a spatula, layer the chocolate topping on top of the barfi and smooth it out evenly. Sprinkle on the pistachios to garnish. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Cut the barfi into 1 1⁄4-in. squares or diamond shapes. For a bite-sized barfi, cut the squares into 1-in. pieces.
Kitchen tip
Chocolate is often melted in a double boiler so that direct heat—either from the stovetop or a microwave—does not come in contact with and overcook the chocolate. Set up a double boiler by boiling water in a small saucepan or heavy-bottomed pot over the stove. Nest a slightly larger stainless-steel bowl on top of the saucepan, ensuring it doesn’t come into contact with the boiling water. Add the chocolate to the bowl, and it will slowly melt from the steam.
This recipe is excerpted from New Indian Basics: 100 Traditional and Modern Recipes From Arvinda’s Family Kitchen by Preena Chauhan and Arvinda Chauhan.