Gajar Burfi
Gajar burfi is a dense Indian carrot sweet with a soft, slightly grainy bite and a warm cardamom aroma. It tastes milky-sweet from khoya and sugar, with a faint floral note from kewra.
Cardamom for the ghee
1.4 gStirred into the first half of the ghee at the start (step 1)Everything else
Method
- Warm half of the 125 g ghee in a wide pan over low-medium heat. Stir in the cardamom for the ghee and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the 1000 g grated carrot and fry for 5 minutes, stirring.
- Pour in 250 ml boiling water, cover the pan and simmer for 7–8 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook for about 5 minutes, until the liquid has gone.
- Add the rest of the 125 g ghee and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
- Scatter over the 200 g granulated sugar, stir well and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the carrot mixture looks dry.
- Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the 0.1 g kewra water and leave the mixture to cool.
- Once cool, blend it with the 90 g dried khoya and 40 g icing sugar until smooth.
- Spread the mixture on a large greased baking tray and smooth the top. Leave it to set, then cut into shapes.
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Unsalted butterUse 120% of the weight; melt gently over low heat to avoid burning the milk solids, which will yield a softer, creamier richness rather than a nutty aroma.
Vegetable oilUse 85% of the weight; holds high cooking temperatures without smoking, but the final dish will lack traditional dairy depth.
Mustard oilUse equal weight; heat to smoking point and cool slightly before cooking, bearing in mind it introduces an assertive, pungent edge.
Green cardamom seedUse 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.
Ground green cardamomUse 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 podUse 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.
TurnipUse the same weight; peel and cut as for carrot. It is less sweet and slightly peppery, so add a pinch of sugar and expect a softer, more earthy result.
PotatoUse the same weight; cut into similar pieces and add 5–10 minutes' extra cooking. It gives bulk but no carrot sweetness or colour.
CourgetteUse the same weight; cut a little larger and add near the end. It releases water, so reduce other liquid slightly and expect a softer texture.
JaggeryUse equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.
RosewaterUse 75-100% of the weight, added off the heat. Floral but rose-scented, not screwpine.
Rose syrupUse 50-60% of the weight and reduce sugar by about the same amount. Sweet and pink-rose flavoured.
Saffron threadSteep 2-3 threads in 10 ml warm milk for every 10 g kewra water. Different, richer aroma.
Milk solidsUse the same weight, grated or crumbled, and add late. Softer and moister than dried khoya; may need less milk.
Milk powderUse the same weight, mix with 1–2 tbsp milk to bind before adding. Less grainy and less rich; reduce other milk slightly.
Caster sugarUse 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 candyUse the same weight and grind to a powder. It is harder to grind and gives a slightly crunchier result.
Similar dishes
- Same: Gajar ka Halwa shares grated carrot, granulated sugar, ghee, green cardamom and khoya with this dish.
- Different: Gajar ka Halwa adds milk, almonds, pistachios and raisins and uses ground cardamom, while this dish has no milk or nuts, uses cardamom pods, and adds icing sugar and kewra water.
- Same: Gajar Ki Barfi and this dish are both dense cooked carrot sweets flavored with cardamom and sweetened with milk solids and sugar.
- Different: Gajar Ki Barfi uses condensed milk, double cream, milk powder, raisins, and almond-pistachio nuts, while this dish uses ghee, khoya, icing sugar, and kewra water.
- Same: Gajar Halwa shares carrots, ghee, granulated sugar, and green cardamom with this dish.
- Different: Gajar Halwa uses double cream instead of khoya and icing sugar, adds almonds and pistachios, and is flavored with rosewater rather than kewra; it is a slow-cooked glossy pudding rather than a dense khoya-set burfi.
- Same: Gajar Kaanji shares carrots as the main ingredient with this dish.
- Different: Gajar Kaanji uses black mustard seed, chilli powder, salt, and water and is fermented, while this dish uses ghee, khoya, sugar, cardamom, kewra, and icing sugar and is cooked into a dense sweet.