This is sold in Indian sweet shops in
large, flat diamond shapes on which thin sheets of edible silver are
sometimes pressed for decoration.
Ingredients :
1
liter
185 g
375 g
1/2 teaspoon
2
tablespoons
Milk
White sugar
Blanched ground almonds
Ground cardamom or 6 drops cardamom extract
Blanched pistachio nuts
Edible silver leaf (optional)
Method :
In a heavy saucepan (preferably one with a
non-stick surface), boil the milk, stirring constantly until it has
reduced and thickened.
Add the sugar and stir over low heat.
Add ground almonds and cardamom, and
continue cooking and stirring until mixture leaves sides of pan in one
mass.
Turn onto a buttered dish and quickly
smooth top with the back of a buttered spoon, or press a lightly
buttered piece of banana leaf (or aluminum foil) on the surface, and
roll lightly with a rolling pin to smooth and flatten the surface.
Remove foil and when sweet is almost cold,
decorate with pistachio nuts which have been blanched for 30 seconds in
boiling water.
Remove the skins and split pistachios in
two, or cut into slivers.
If using silver leaf decoration, handle it
very delicately, holding with the interleaved pieces of tissue and
gently fluttering the silver leaf (varak) onto the surface.