Celebration with Badaam Halwa!

The last month has been busy with traveling to India, catching up with work, and then spending time with parents in the US. In this celebration and traveling, I missed a milestone of Ahaar. My blog turned TWO-years last month! This calls for a sweet celebration, doubly sweet for the belated blog anniversary :)

What started as an experiment has become a passion over the years. Part diary of what I cook at home, part exploration of other food-related interests, the blog has contributed to our better eating habits. And over the years, I have blogged about the unexplored, the elaborate traditional and the simple everyday food.

It would not be possible without the support of the blogging community and Indian food lovers. So THANK YOU for reading Ahaar, trying my recipes and for your enthusiastic, and informative comments. You make it worth every minute!

So to make it extra special, I made some Badaam Halwa, the same Halwa I sent Asha of Foodie's Hope, and she talks about in her post.

It turns out fabulous every time I make it.

Ingredients:
2 cups almonds
1 1/2 cup sugar (adjust it to taste)
1/2 tspoon saffron
1 tbspoon MTR Badam Halwa mix
1 cup milk (I use 1%)
1 tspoon ghee
1/2 tspoon cardamom powder - for garnish

Method:
Crush the Almonds in a food processor to a fine powder. I like to leave it a little chunky as it gives texture to the halwa. Soak the saffron in milk and keep it aside.

Heat the ghee in a deep bottomed pan and then add the almond powder. Saute it for a couple of minutes till you start getting the nutty aroma.

Then add sugar and milk and let it cook on medium heat. Once the mix has come to a boil, add a tbspoon of MTR Badam Halwa mix and let it simmer on medium low heat on closed lid for 5- 6 min. Add about half of the saffron to the Halwa and let it cook for another 8-10 min. It should become a thick mix, but not completely dry. Add the rest of the saffron, mix and take it off the heat.

Garnish with cardamom, some crushed almonds. Let it cool and serve.

Since saffron is part of a flower, this is going to Soul Food who is hosting JFI:Flower Power this month.