Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 500g poppy seeds (posta)
• 500g sugar
• 400ml water, for the syrup
• 500g khoya (or 2 liters full fat milk to make it)
• A little ghee for smearing on plate
• 50g melon seeds (optional)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder (optional)

Directions

Grease tray or thali with clarified butter (ghee).

Wash poppy seeds well. Strain, then turn over on cotton cloth, and let dry completely under a fan.

Roast poppyseeds in a wok (kadhai) well till it is medium dark and emits a nice aroma. Stir continuously, and do not over roast. Turn stove off, transfer, and let cool.

Grind the seeds.

If reduced milk, khoya, is available, roast it over medium heat till light brown. Alternatively make it by reducing two litres of whole milk till only the solids remain. Then continue roasting it till it becomes light brown. Turn stove off, and transfer. Let cool. Lightly roast melon seeds, transfer and cool.

Mix both the khoya, ground poppyseeds, and 3/4 of melon seeds as well. Save the rest for garnishing.

Take water, add sugar, and cook over medium to medium high heat, till it’s three thread consistency. When you lift up your spoon, three threads should be visible. Now cook for a minute or two more, and then drop a little syrup in a small bowl of water. When a little ball is formed(goli), then your syrup is ready, and reduce heat to low. If syrup doesn’t form a little ball when dropped into water, then your barfi will not set. Reduce heat. I Quickly add the reduced milk(khoya)and poppy seed mixture to the syrup in the wok. Stir briskly, and when mixed, turn stove off, and carefully pat into a greased tray(not plastic) or steel thali(plate with raised sides).

Sprinkle remaining melon seeds and gently press them into the poppy mixture. They should be visible. When halfway cooled, make diamond/ square cuts on the barfi.

Try a piece when ready without sprinkling cardamom powder, and if your palate tells you its missing, then sprinkle it. In the original recipe, there isn’t any. Enjoy!