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.
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Almond Burfi
Ingredients
8 cups milk
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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.