badam halwa (almond)

Ingredients:

Badam (almond) - 1 cup heaped
Sugar - 1 cup flat
Ghee - 3 tablespoons
Saffron - few strings
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Yellow food colour - little (Optional)
Almond essence - two to three drops (Optional)

Method:

Soak almonds in lukewarm water for about one hour and remove the pink skin. Grind the peeled almonds to a coarse paste.

Take a thick bottomed kadai (preferably non-stick kadai). Put the sugar and the ground almond paste into it and keep it on medium flame. First the sugar starts melting and the mixture looks liquid. Stir continuously till it become solid and leaves the sides of the vessel. Then switch off the stove. Add two tablespoon of ghee on the halwa. Ghee melt in the heat of the halwa. Add saffon and cardamom powder and mix everything. Now add the remaining ghee and once again mix well and transfer it to a greased bowl.

Note:There is no need of adding any colour or almond essence to the halwa. However, if you desire you can add two to three drops of essence and yellow food colour.