Indian cooking / Dishes / Baadam ki Jaali

Baadam ki Jaali

Almond Marzipan

VegetarianOrigin HyderabadPrep 30 minutes, plus cooling timeCook 45 minutes

Baadam ki jaali is a delicate baked almond confection with a rich, marzipan-like texture and ornate cutwork patterns. Flavoured with cardamom, it offers a soft, nutty bite with gentle floral sweetness.

Syrup spices

1.1 gBoiled into the sugar syrup (step 2)

Green cardamom pod · Elaichiground

1.1 g6 pods

spice

Already ground; add directly to the pan.

Everything else

Blanched almond · Badam

500 g

nut/seed

Milk · Doodh

388 g375 ml

dairy

Granulated sugar · Cheeni

250 g

sweetener

Lime juice · Nimbu Ka Ras

2.5 g½ teaspoon

souring agent

Icing sugar · Pisi Chini

150 g

sweetener

Edible silver leaf · Chandi ka varqto decorate

0–0 g3–4 sheets

other

Method

Purée 500 g almonds and 388 g milk in a food processor until a completely smooth paste forms, then set aside.
Combine 250 g granulated sugar, 250 ml water, and the syrup spices in a heavy pan over gentle heat. Stir until dissolved, then raise the heat to a boil, skim away any surface foam, and cook until the syrup reaches a single-thread consistency.
Lower the heat, stir in 2.5 g lime juice and the almond purée, and cook steadily until the mixture thickens into a firm dough. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Set the oven to 150°C (300°F). Lightly dust a counter with some of the 150 g icing sugar, shape the cooled dough into small portions, and roll each into a round roughly 5 cm across and less than 5 mm thick. Stamp out discs using a fluted cutter, cut openwork patterns into the centres of half the rounds, and dust them again with icing sugar.
Transfer the cut shapes to a large baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool fully, then finish by applying 3 sheets of edible silver leaf.

Don't have something?

Blanched almond

Almond
Use the same weight; cover with hot water for 5 minutes, then slip off the skins.
Blanched split almond
Use the same weight; they are already peeled and split, so use whole or chop as needed.
Cashew nut
Use the same weight; soak in warm water before grinding. They are softer and richer, so the dish will be creamier.

Milk

Whole milk
Use equal weight; provides the standard rich dairy fat and body expected in creamy Indian bases.
Single cream
Dilute 3 parts cream with 1 part water to match the weight; yields a richer, glossier gravy that resists curdling.
Plain yogurt
Whisk thoroughly and use equal weight; adds extra body and a mild pleasant acidity, best added off the heat.

Green cardamom pod

Green cardamom seed
Use 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.
Ground green cardamom
Use 20 to 25% of the pod weight (about 1 generous pinch per pod); stir in toward the end of cooking so the delicate floral notes do not dissipate.
White cardamom pod
Use 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.

Granulated sugar

Jaggery
Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Lime juice

Lemon juice
Use equal volume or weight; slightly sweeter and less pungent, but otherwise an imperceptible swap.
Dried mango powder
Use 25% of the weight; imparts dry, fruity sourness, best stirred in right at the end of cooking.
Tamarind extract
Use 50% of the weight; delivers pleasant fruity tang but turns pale sauces considerably darker.

Icing sugar

Caster sugar
Use the same weight and grind to a fine powder in a dry blender. Add 3% cornflour by weight if you need it to stay powdery.
Granulated sugar
Use the same weight and grind in small batches until fine. It is coarser and may feel gritty in uncooked icings.
Sugar candy
Use the same weight and grind to a powder. It is harder to grind and gives a slightly crunchier result.

Edible silver leaf

Edible gold leaf
Use the same amount to cover the same surface. Purely decorative; only the colour changes.
Silver leaf
Use the same amount if it is food-grade. Same decorative effect.

Similar dishes

Badaam ki Kheer

Almond Milk Pudding

Badaam ki Kheer tastes creamy, soft, and spoonable with a nutty cardamom flavor, while this dish is denser, sweeter, and marzipan-like with a delicate baked bite.

Same: Badaam ki Kheer shares blanched almonds, milk, granulated sugar, and green cardamom with this dish.
Different: Badaam ki Kheer uses far more milk and less almond, and it lacks this dish's lime juice, icing sugar, and edible silver leaf; it is simmered as a pudding rather than baked as a marzipan confection with cutwork.

Baadam ka Doodh

Almond Milkshake

Baadam ka Doodh is far less sugary, offering a light, milky flavor steeped with saffron rather than the dense, intensely sweet taste of this dish.

Same: Baadam ka Doodh shares the use of milk, granulated sugar, and crushed green cardamom pods with this dish.
Different: Baadam ka Doodh is a beverage cooked with much more milk and flavored with saffron, omitting the lime juice and baking process used to make this solid confection.

Thandai (Tandoori Home Cooking)

Chilled Almond Milk Infused with Fennel, Cardamom & Rose

Thandai tastes creamy, nutty and sweet with a floral fennel-rose spice finish, while this dish is a soft baked almond confection with a marzipan-like cardamom sweetness.

Same: Thandai shares almonds, milk, cardamom and sugar with this dish.
Different: Unlike this dish, Thandai is a chilled blended drink with cashews, poppy seeds, fennel and rose petals, and it has no baking, icing sugar, lime juice or silver leaf.

Thandai

Thandai has a sharper, peppery and herbal spice profile, unlike the mellow, cardamom-focused sweetness of this dish.

Same: Both preparations are sweet, milk-based treats flavored with aromatic spices.
Different: Thandai is a chilled beverage spiced with poppy seeds, black pepper, aniseed, and nutmeg, whereas this dish is a baked almond confection made with milk, cardamom, and lime juice.