MAKHANA BURFI – मखाना बर्फी (Fox Nuts/ Lotus Seeds Fudge)

Besides Diwali, this post has also been created keeping in my mind the festival of Navratri. Consider it my third dessert post for the Diwali series. My intention this year is to share festival desserts that are healthy, easy to make and ones that you can enjoy guilt–free.

I will possibly end the series with an indulgent dessert coz it is one dessert that I have been wanting to share here since last year. And a little indulgence during the festivals is completely justifiable I believe.

I had earlier shared a snack recipe, a dessert and a delicious chaat recipe using the makhana/ lotus seeds. Makhana or lotus seeds are practically fat free and have a lot of health benefits. Therefore, they were my first choice for a healthy dessert post.

The Badam Burfi Truffles, that I had shared earlier, were made using sugar syrup which leads to a firm burfi texture so for this post I decided to go with softer texture therefore I discarded the sugar syrup and instead cooked the contents with milk just as I did for making the Gajar Burfi (Carrot Fudge) and also the Pumpkind Kalakand (Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Fudge).

There are just a handful of ingredients that go into making this delicious burfi…

2 C Makhana (Lotus Seeds)

1/3 C Desiccated Coconut

¼ C Sesame Seeds

2 C Whole Milk / Full Fat Milk

½ C plus 1 tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Cardamom Powder

1 tbsp Assorted Nuts, finely chopped for garnish (optional)

Prep a small tray, with raised edges, of 6’ by 5’ size by lining it with butter paper or parchment paper or you can apply ghee or a neutral oil to it. I prefer lining it with paper since it is makes it easy to release the burfi. Set aside.

Boil milk in a sauce pan and then reduce it half the quantity. You can do this on high heat by constantly stirring it or do it low heat and stir it occasionally.

While the milk is reducing in quantity, heat a frying pan and dry roast the makhana on low heat till they become toasty and crumble when you apply pressure on a piece of makhana. Once done, remove and allow them to cool and grind to powder.

In the same pan, on low heat, roast the desiccated coconut till it just about begins to turn golden. Very quickly remove in a bowl or plate and set it aside to cool. (Desiccated coconut can burn really fast so be very careful while roasting and also be very quick in removing it from the pan)

In the same pan, on low heat, toast the sesame seeds. Toast them while continuously tossing them around the pan, till they begin to pop and change in colour. Immediately remove them from the pan in a plate or a bowl. Set aside to cool. Grind them to powder by pulsing (else they will release oil)

Once the milk is reduced to half, add sugar and keep stirring till the sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and add powdered makhana along with desiccated coconut and powdered sesame seeds to the milk and mix everything well. Keep cooking till the contents come together as a non–sticky ball.

Switch off the heat and decant the contents into the tray and using a spatula or back of a spoon, spread it to even thickness. Sprinkle nuts if desired and allow the burfi to cool completely. Set in fridge for two hours and then cut the burfi to the desired size and serve.

Yield – 12 pieces (1½ inch each)

Notes – You can swap the sugar with jaggery for an even healthier dessert.

Thank you for your visit and see you soon again with another exciting recipe!

4 thoughts on “MAKHANA BURFI – मखाना बर्फी (Fox Nuts/ Lotus Seeds Fudge)

  1. I adore lotus seeds! My mom uses them with red beans to make sweetened soups and we usually eat them as the afternoon snack. These fudge slices look so beautiful and tempting.

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