Healthy Badam Burfi

A Variation on a Traditional Indian Desert

Every food that we eat affects our body on several levels including physical, emotional, and psychological. A person with a relatively clean body and a good level of awareness will be able to observe these influences quite clearly and use these observations to create a personalized experience-based diet that suits his unique body.

Certain foods have such a strong effect that you don’t even need to be a highly aware being to observe their effect on the body. Fruits and wholesome meals will give a sensible surge of energy, while heavy food combinations or processed meals will create heaviness and sluggishness. Don’t need to be a nutrition professor to feel that.

Lately, I was craving almonds because they made my body feel particularly good. You are probably familiar with that “almost high” feeling of energy buzzing through your body and mind. It feels amazing!

While nuts are good for Vata types, they can be too dry and heavy. Ayurveda advises to soak nuts and to have almond milk as alternatives. While I love both, I was looking for more creative options. Badam burfi seemed like an interesting experiment. The idea of making this traditional quite heavy dessert into something lighter and healthier also provided a pleasant challenge. The result was beyond my expectations. Home-made almond treat was my go-to snack for the last 2 days! To make it healthy I eliminated sugar and used coconut crystals instead, added flax seed, and a generous handful of sugar-regulating cardamom. If you are looking for a new recipe to impress your guests over the holidays, give this one a try:

Healthy Badam Burfi:

Ingredients:

1 firmly packed cup of almond flour
1/2 cup of whole organic milk or coconut milk
1/4 cup pistachios
Rose water
1/2 tsp ghee or coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut crystals or date sugar
2 tbsp flax seeds
Saffron
Cardamom

Instructions:

In a large pot combine milk and sugar and let the sugar melt. Bring to a boil and let it thicken a bit.
Add almond flour, pistachios, flax seeds and mix it vigorously. Add ghee while stirring.
Sprinkle cardamom, 7-10 saffron threads and rose water.
Keep stirring non stop, scrapping the side and the bottom of the pot. The mixture will thicken.
When the mixture starts sticking together and away from the pot, take it out and spread it on a flat surface (plate) in a 1″ layer.
Let it cool for an hour before cutting into squares.
Keep in the fridge and enjoy with a good cup of chai!