Peanut and Foxnuts (Makhana) Barfi
Every Indian festival is celebrated with some traditional sweets with every region having its own variations depending on locally available spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits. But the one thing that is common across all regions and recipes is the use of refined sugar for good texture and taste but it is, of course, unhealthy for our bodies. I thought of making a healthier barfi without compromising on taste, texture and, most importantly, health. I swapped sugar with mishri (rock sugar) which is a tiny, crystal, unrefined form of sugar used extensively in India.
Say bye to unhealthy sweets since you now have a healthier choice to opt for – peanut and foxnuts (makhani) barfi. Foxnuts don’t have a strong flavour and therefore can be used as the main ingredient in sweet and savoury dishes. Additionally, peanuts and foxnuts are great sources of protein, nutrients and fibre – what else do we need 🙂
This barfi is loaded with health and gives a nutty and grainy taste in every bite which I bet you will enjoy! It is also rich in protein, gluten free and vegan.
- Times
- Description
- Image
- Ingredients
- Method
- Notes
- Nutrition
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- Prep time: 2 hours
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups Foxnuts (Makhana)
- 1 cup Peanuts
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 cup Desiccated Coconut
- 1/2 cup Mishri
- 1/4 tsp Green Cardamom Powder
- 1/4 cup Pistachio and Almond Slivers, (to garnish)
- 1 tbsp Mixed seeds, (to garnish)
Method
- 1)
Heat a kadai on medium flame and add the makhanas. Dry roast for 10-15 mins or until they turn crunchy. Transfer them to a bowl and let the makhanas cool down.
- 2)
Roast the peanuts until they are golden brown in colour. Transfer to a bowl and let them cool down.
- 3)
Grind the makhanas separately into a fine powder and transfer to another bowl.
- 4)
Grind the peanuts into a fine powder. To do this, use the pulse mode 3-4 times instead of running it continuously so it is ground to a powder instead of butter.
- 5)
Roast the desiccated coconut on medium flame till golden-brown.
- 6)
Mix the makhana powder, peanut powder and roasted desiccated coconut in a big bowl. Mix everything well so all ingredients are properly combined.
- 7)
In a pan add mishri powder, 1 cup water to make a syrup of one-string consistency on medium flame. It is very important to get to this consistency since a thick syrup will form crystals in your barfi and the ingredients will not combine well.
- 8)
Add you powder misture to the syrup. Mix well until it combines to form a dough. Add cardamom powder.
- 9)
Grease a tray with ghee. Add the mixture and spread it across evenly. Press it down with a spatula to even out the thickness of the barfi.
- 10)
Sprinkle the chopped nuts and seeds. Gently press them in as well.
- 11)
Allow the barfi to set for ~1 hour in room temperature.
- 12)
Cut the barfi into squares. Your healthy and tasty barfi is now ready to enjoy! Store it in an air-tight container and refrigerate. It will stay good for a week.
Notes
Tips:
For a lighter coloured barfi, make sure to remove the skin of peanuts after roasting them. Roasting the peanuts, makhanas and coconut well improves the overall taste and increases the shelf-life too. Store the barfi in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated to further increase its shelf life.
It is very important to have a one-string consistency for the mishri syrup since a thick syrup will form crystals in your barfi and the ingredients will not combine well. Use the pulse mode while grinding the peanuts to ensure it is ground to a powder since grinding them continuously will give you peanut butter because of the natural oil present in peanuts.
Variations:
- Use can swap desiccated coconut with fresh coconut. Make sure to roast the fresh coconut as well.
- Instead of mishri, you can also use jaggery syrup. Its an equally healthy, natural and tasty sweetener.
- You can also add chopped nuts to your barfi mixture to give it a nutty taste.
