Instant Burfi- Indian and Pakistani Fudge

This recipe is another from Cooking Where Cultures Meet by Sylvia Mangalam.

1 can condensed milk
1/4 cup butter plus one tablespoon
3 cups instant non-fat dry milk granules
3 cups ground almonds
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ruh kewra *

Open the can of condensed milk. Set in a pan of water on a very low heat, so that it warms gradually while you are working on the rest of the recipe. Do not let it burn.

Have ready a large mixing bowl and a buttered 8" X 8" or larger pan. Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a large frying pan with sides 2" high. Warm butter gradually until it just starts to bubble. Keep the heat low.

Add the dry milk, and stir briskly and constantly until the milk turns a creamy golden colour-it will be too hot to hold in your hand. Watch it carefully. Dry milk burns very easily.  If a little patch turns light brown on the bottom, squash it into the rest. If it turns black or dark brown remove.

When done, pour out immediately into the waiting mixing bowl. Put 1 tablespoon butter into the pan, and add the ground almonds. You may work on a slightly higher heat here, as the almonds do not burn quite as easily. But they do turn brown all at once, so you must watch them and keep stirring. After one minute add the icing sugar and continue stirring.

When the mixture is really hot and golden but not at all brown, add to the milk in the mixing bowl.

Stir. Immediately add the warm condensed milk and the ruh kewra. Stir an knead until everything is smooth. Quickly pat it out into buttered pan and chill. It may be cut and wrapped when cold.



*According to Mangalam: "Ruh kewra/kewra essence is flavouring extract made from a flower. Used in desserts. My memory of the Ruh Kewra pronunciation is "roo kee or da" I love it. Ruh kewra is available in Indian stores. Taste after adding this, and if you really like it, add a little more drop by drop. It is delicious, but too much is unpleasant". (I used vanilla but plan to make this recipe again once I have a chance to buy the ruh kewra.