Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 Cup Almonds / Badam
  • 1 Pod Cardamom
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • ½ Cup Water
  • 1 tsp Ghee

Instruction

  • First, measure and keep the almonds, (the main point to be noted here is, the almonds should be at room temperature and there should not be any moisture). Roll boil water in a pan and then, add the almonds.
  • Boil it for 2 to 3 minutes at high flame. Then, rinse it in cold water immediately, to prevent further cooking. Now, the skin of the almonds can be peeled easily. Pat dry the almonds with a kitchen cloth or dry it under the fan for 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the almonds and cardamom pod to a dry mixer. Grind the almonds into powder, just grind in one stretch without stopping in between. No need to grind it to a very fine powder (coarse is enough), just make sure there are no big pieces left over. Don’t over grind as the almonds will leave out the oil and the whole mixture will turn sticky.
  • Then, keep the sugar and water ready. To a non-stick or heavy-bottomed pan add water and sugar. Let the sugar dissolve completely, slightly stir in between.
  • Now, add the ground almond powder, no string consistency is needed here. Mix continuously in low flame till the almond paste leaves the sides of the pan and forms a whole mass. Switch off the flame.
  • Grease your fingers with ghee and take a pinch from the mixture. Try rolling the mixture to a tiny ball, if it forms a softball, then that’s the right consistency (If you remove it before the correct stage, it will be goey like halwa. So try to make a small ball and then remove it at the right time). The mixture should be slightly dry (not completely, else it turns brittle) yet soft and flexible, so switch off accordingly.
  • Transfer the almond mixture to a plate. Drizzle a few drops of ghee and knead the mixture gently, proper kneading is a must for a smooth finish. Don’t over-knead, else it starts releasing oil but do it before it cools down.
  • Place the kneaded dough on a wooden board, or a cleaned kitchen working space. Cover the dough with butter paper. Roll the dough with a rolling pin, as per the desired thickness (minimum 1/4 inch). Remove the butter paper and cut it into a diamond shape with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, when the dough is warm itself.
  • Let it sit for 10 minutes to become firm. You can consume the uneven edges, I used silver leaves to decorate but it is optional.Try this Badam Katli Recipe for this Diwali.