Coconut, saffron and pistachio barfi
- Published: 11 Oct 22
- Updated: 25 Mar 24
Cooking and sharing Indian sweets are the essence of Diwali, says Maunika Gowardhan, who shares her creamy pistachio barfi recipe.
“Diwali is a festival that brings family and friends together: a chance for us all, no matter the busyness of life, to make memories and share good times. Cooking and sharing Indian sweets are the essence of this festival and my favourites include laddoos, karanjis and now these saffron and cardamom-flavoured barfi. I have filled jars of them at home for the festival, ready to serve with some masala chai when we have friends over.”
A food writer and chef, Maunika has worked in food for more than a decade, creating enticing, accessible Indian recipes and cookery videos. Brought up in Mumbai and now based in the UK, Maunika draws on recipes handed down within her family as well as dishes from across India. Her most recent cookbook is Tandoori Home Cooking. Find Maunika on Instagram @cookinacurry and at maunikagowardhan.co.uk
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Makes 20 barfi -
Hands-on time 25 min, plus at least 3 hours chilling
Nutrition
- Calories
- 118kcals
- Fat
- 7g fat (5.7g saturated)
- Protein
- 2g
- Carbohydrates
- 11.1g carbs (11.1g sugars)
- Fibre
- 1.5g
- Salt
- trace
delicious. tips
Maunika says: “For the best flavour and colour it’s worth buying good quality saffron and soaking it for at least 25 minutes.
Traditional barfi use khoya (dried milk solids) to bring the mix together, but I’ve opted for milk powder, which gives the required texture and density.
Indian sweets are usually made with ghee, but you can swap this for butter.”
The barfi can be made up to a week in advance and kept in the fridge. Or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before eating.