Indian Cooking Recipe : Chequered Barfi

   

Ingredients :
For the Badam barfi :
1 cup almonds
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp elaichi powder

For the Cashew Barfi :
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp elaichi powder

For the Pista Barfi :
1 cup pistachios
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp elaichi powder
a few drops of green food colouring (optional)

For the Chequered Barfi :
a few saffron strands
1 tbsp milk
4 to 5 edible silver leaves

Method :
For the Badam Barfi :
Soak the almonds in warm water for 30 minutes.
Drain all the water, peel the almonds and blend them to a fine paste in mixer. Keep aside.
Melt the sugar in ½ cup of water and prepare a syrup of 1 string consistency.
Put the almond paste and elaichi powder and cook over a slow flame.
Keep on stirring continuously for about 5 to 7 minutes till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
Shift to a plate and cool slightly. Keep aside.

For the Cashew Barfi :
Soak the cashewnuts in warm water for 30 minutes and wash them 2 to 3 times.
Drain all the water out and blend the cashewnuts to a fine paste in a mixer. Keep aside.
Melt the sugar in ½ cup of water and prepare a syrup of one string consistency.
Put the cashew paste and cook over a medium flame.
Keep on stirring continuously for 5 to 7 minutes till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
Shift to a plate and cool slightly. Keep aside.

For the Pista Barfi :
Soak the pistachios in warm water for 30 minutes.
Drain all the water, peel the pistachios and blend them to a fine paste in a mixer. Keep aside.
Melt the sugar in ½ cup of water and prepare a syrup of one string consistency.
Put the pista paste, elaichi powder and green colour and cook over a slow flame.
Keep on stirring continuously for 5 to 7 minutes till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
Shift to a plate and cool slightly. Keep aside.

For the chequered Barfi :
Melt the saffron in the milk, add it to the cashew barfi and stir well.
Divide the badam barfi, cashew barfi and pista barfi into 3 equal parts.
Roll out each part into a cylinder of 200 mm. (8") length and 6 mm. (¼") thickness.
On a sheet of plastic, keep one badam roll, one cashew roll and one pista roll next to each other, to form a layer.
Top the first layer with a cashew roll, pista roll and badam roll (in that order).
Top with the third layer of pista roll, badam roll and cashew roll.
Press gently so that all the barfi rolls stick together to form a rectangle.
Garnish the rectangle with the silver leaves.
Cut the rectangle into 8 slices of 25 mm. (1") thickness.