Simple, practical, and full of everyday flavour, Quick Malai Barfi Recipe is a vegetarian North Indian sweets made with simple everyday ingredients in about 15 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 · 12 pieces
  • Category: Sweets
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 200 grams or ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 100 grams paneer ((Indian cottage cheese))
  • ½ cup cream (– low fat 25% to 35% (I used Amul Fresh Cream))
  • 1 teaspoon rose water (or one drop of rose essence)
  • 1 pinch saffron strands (– kesar)
  • 4 green cardamoms (finely powdered in a mortar-pestle or ½ teaspoon cardamom powder)
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon ghee (– for greasing a pan or tray)
  • 10 to 12 pistachios (– blanched & peeled)
  • 10 to 12 almonds (– blanched & peeled)

Method

Preparation

  1. Finely grate the paneer and keep it aside.
  2. In a thick-bottomed pan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, cream and grated paneer. Mix well.
  3. Place the pan on low heat and begin cooking the mixture, stirring continuously.
  4. Continue to cook and stir frequently so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. As it cooks, the mixture will begin to thicken.
  5. After about 8 to 10 minutes, when the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and comes together as a soft mass, add the saffron and cardamom powder.
  6. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Turn off the heat.Do not overcook the mixture, as the malai barfi can become dense and chewy after cooling.
  7. Add the rose water and mix thoroughly until evenly incorporated.
  8. Transfer the hot mixture to a tray lightly greased with ghee. Spread and level it evenly with a spatula.
  9. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios and almonds evenly on top. Gently press them into the mixture with your fingers or the back of a spoon.
  10. Allow the malai burfi to cool completely and set. Once firm, cut into squares, diamonds or rectangles.
  11. Serve malai barfi immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for later.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.