Almond delights

Recipes of easy-to-make treats using the nutritious and tasty nut

February 14, 2013 06:40 pm | Updated 06:41 pm IST

Almonds are loaded with goodness.

Almonds are loaded with goodness.

Almonds offer not just crunch and a delicate flavour, but also nutritional benefits.

They are low in saturated fat and contain calcium, magnesium, Vitamin E, fibre and phytochemical that helps protect against cardiovascular diseases and even cancer. Almonds are good for the brain, heart and skin too. What’s more, they are versatile too — eat them roasted and sugar-coated or add them to desserts, drinks, salads and snacks.

Here are a few easy-to-make almond treats.

Almond Burfi

Ingredients

8 cups milk

200 gm sugar

Half tsp saffron

Quarter tsp alum, powdered

150 gm almond, finely chopped

Half tsp cardamom powder

2 silver foils

A small amount of ghee

Method

Soak saffron in warm water. Bring milk to boil and keep stirring. Add alum powder. Continue stirring till the milk is half in volume. Add sugar and stir till it is thick like custard. Add saffron and almonds, sprinkle cardamom powder and stir well on slow fire. Grease a plate with ghee. Spread the mixture evenly. Decorate with silver foil and allow it to cool, and when it’s set, cut into squares or diamonds.

Almond Crush

Ingredients

1 cup almond, soaked and skinned

1.5 cup milk

4 tbsp sugar

5 tbsp ghee

1 tsp powdered cardamom

A pinch of saffron soaked in warm milk

3 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

50 gm sliced cashew

50 gm mawa

Method

Make a paste of almonds by adding a little milk. In a non-stick pan, heat ghee and fry cloves and cinnamon. Add almond paste, cook on medium fire till golden brown. Add milk and stir. When the milk dries up, add sugar and simmer. Add mawa, fry till ghee separates. Add saffron and cardamom powder. Garnish with sliced cashew and serve hot.

Almond Chutney

Ingredients

6 shelled almonds

Half a bunch of mint leaves

Quarter bunch of coriander leaves

Half-inch piece of orange peel

Half tbsp of dried pomegranate seeds

1 green chilli

1 small onion, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Oil and mustard for seasoning

Method

Grind orange peel and almonds to paste. Grind again with the rest of the ingredients, till smooth. Season with mustard spluttered in oil.

Almond Soup

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almonds

1 cup milk

2 tsp cream

3 cups chicken stock

A pinch of saffron

Half tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Make a paste of one-and-a -half cup of almonds. Add milk, saffron, nutmeg and simmer for 10 minutes. Add stock, salt and pepper and boil for five to 10 minutes. Serve hot garnished with whipped cream and thinly sliced almonds.

Almond Rabri

Ingredients

1 litre full-cream milk

500 gm tin of condensed milk

Half a cup of sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

A few strands of saffron in cold milk

3 tbsp of chopped almonds

Method

Simmer the milk on low flame. Add condensed milk and keep stirring till it’s reduced to one-third its quantity. Mix sugar and cardamom powder and cook. Dissolve saffron in milk and add to the prepared rabri. Mix chopped almonds and serve.

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