Perfect Plain White Burfi
Learn how to make Perfect Plain White Burfi with me: 9 ingredients and 30 minutes prep and cook time is all you need.
This plain milk powder burfi is the Indian mithai recipe my followers request the most.
I think White Burfi has such a simple charm and universal appeal.
For some reason, the most basic recipes are often difficult to perfect ā for myself too.
What does Burfi mean?
The word burfi or barfi is a Hindi word which stems from the PersianĀ barfÄ«, which literally means āicy' or 'snowyā.
Baraf is the Hindi word for 'ice'.
This traditional Indian sweet carries the name Burfi because of it's cool, melt-in-the mouth texture.
If you've ever tried the western retro sweet, coconut ice, you'll be familiar with this concept.
How to make Burfi with milk powder
My recipe here calls for milk powder. In many cases, people use mawa (milk solids) which you can make by reducing full-fat milk.
Indeed, you can also buy mawa in many South Asian food shops.
I like to use full-fat milk powder because it is readily available in most shops or online.
What if I can't find full-fat milk powder?
If full-fat milk powder proves to be elusive, you can use skimmed milk powder and simply replace the milk in this recipe with an equal measure of double (full-fat) cream.
This simple switch will produce a delicious, creamy Burfi.
Different types of Burfi
There are hundreds of variations when it comes to Burfi. Some are traditional, some more playful and modern.
However, in my opinion, most good Burfi ought to begin with a Perfect Plain White Burfi recipe.
Rose Burfi, Pistachio Burfi, Mango Burfi, Cashew Burfi and Almond Burfi are all popular choices in Indian mithai shops.
You can make all of these varieties if you know how to create a great basic milk powder burfi.
Each recipe has a little variation, be it nuts, some flavour extract, food colour, dry fruit or food colour.
Some of my favourite Burfi varieties
Besan Burfi
A simple burfi with chickpea flour (besan), milk, ghee and sugar.
Cardamom is optional, as are nuts or any other flavours.
The toasted besan aroma is the key flavour in this style of burfi.
Note that Besan Burfi and Mohanthal are two different varieties of besan mithai.
You can find my recipe and video tutorial for Mohanthal here.
Chocolate Burfi
Plain burfi with a layer of chocolate on top. In all honesty, the quality of chocolate is usually questionable.
It is almost always cooking milk chocolate rather than any of your top notch eating chocolate.
In my opinion, the low-quality chocolate on top of Chocolate Burfi has a certain charm.
The flavour of cheap milk chocolate against milky white burfi is my childhood in a bar.
Check out my recipe for Cookie Dough Chocolate Burfi.
Pistachio Burfi
Wow! Pistachio Burfi is a must-have in any burfi box from the mithai shop.
It's usually a super artificial shade of green and that's what I love about it.
Most mithai shops will add a synthetic pistachio flavouring and scatter crushed pistachios on top.
As much as I love mithai shop pistachio burfi, the kind made with real pistachios is always at the top of my list.
Check out my recipe for Pure Pistachio Burfi.
Why won't my milk powder Burfi set?
If you undercook Burfi, it will not set.
Watch my step-by-step recipe video to see what the Burfi mixture should look like before you place it in the tin.
If the mixture is too runny, the Burfi won't set and the texture will be rather claggy.
Why is my Burfi chewy?
Burfi can turn chewy if you overcook it.
Be sure to cook the Burfi mixture over a very low heat.
Stir constantly without stopping.
Keep an eye on the texture.
It is ready when the mixture forms a slack and cohesive mass that comes away from the sides of the pan easily.
Can you freeze Burfi?
Burfi actually freezes pretty well.
Be sure to pack it into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost at room temperature.
Why is my Burfi sticky?
Sticky Burfi can be down to three separate issues:
- The Burfi needs to cook for longer.
- Not enough fat in the mixture.
- Too much sugar in the mixture.
How to make condensed milk Burfi
A popular method of making Burfi is with condensed milk.
This negates the requirement to add sugar, since the condensed milk is sweet enough.
Many recipes simply call for milk powder and condensed milk.
While this is a perfectly delicious way to make burfi, the end result is very smooth and Peda like in texture.
Burfi with a melt-in-the-mouth texture and definitive crumbles is my personal favourite.
Is Burfi gluten free?
Yes, this recipe for Burfi is free from gluten.
Is Burfi vegan?
No. Burfi is a typically a dairy-based sweet. Its' core ingredients are: Milk, butter (or ghee) and sugar.
Some recipe creators successfully make vegan-friendly Burfi.
Why do you add lemon juice to your Perfect Plain White Burfi?
I add a small amount of lemon juice to the hot burfi mixture at the end of the cooking process.
This is a little trick I do to ensure my Burfi is perfectly crumbly.
The acidity of the lemon juice curdles the milk proteins ever so slightly.
The result is a Perfect Plain White Burfi that cuts beautifully, yet still has a definitive grainy quality.
Pure mithai shop vibes.
Perfect Plain White Burfi: Butter vs. Ghee?
In all honesty, it really doesn't matter.
Use whichever one you like best.
I like to use butter for its saltiness.
I think all sweets benefit from a touch of salt to bring the rest of the flavours to life.
The inherent saltiness of salted butter is perfect in this recipe.
If you can find Indian white butter, that is ideal as it imparts less colour.
My yellow European butter gives the burfi a slightly creamy colour.
If you use ghee, add ā teaspoon of fine salt to the burfi mixture.
I promise it makes all the difference!
My Burfi-making essentials
Perfect Plain White Burfi recipe
Perfect Plain White Burfi
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Line a L30 x W20 x D5cm (13"x9") rectangular traybake pan with baking parchment. Scatter over some sliced pistachios or pistachio nibs.
- Heat the milk in a large, non-stick pan. Add the butter and allow it to melt.
- Add the sugar and stir until it has completely melted and you can no longer feel the crystals at the base of the pan.
- Tip in the milk powder and stir well to combine. The mixture will become thick, like mashed potato in appearance.
- Cook the mixture over a very low heat, stirring all the time to ensure it doesn't catch and burn on the base of the pan.
- Once the burfi mixture begins to come away from the sides, at about the 5 minute mark, add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, cardamom and saffron. Continue to stir for a further 2 minutes.
- Around the 8 minute mark, the burfi mixture should be thick. Once it forms a soft mass that comes away from the sides of the pan and into a ball, it is ready.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin lined with baking parchment and pistachios. Press the mixture in with a rubber spatula, ensuring the surface is as even as you can get it.
- Allow to cool to room temperature. Cover a refrigerate for 30 minutes before turning out. The baking parchment will come away easily. Decorate with silver or gold leaf (optional). Cut into squares and serve at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- If your burfi begins to develop brown spots in places, it means either the heat is too high or you're not stirring it enough. Keep it moving all the time to prevent burnt milk flecks.
- This burfi keeps well in an airtight container for up to a week. Keep refrigerated and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- Burfi served cold from the fridge will be much firmer in texture.
Pin this Perfect Plain White Burfi for later!
If you like this, you'll love my recipe for Mohanthal
Recipes similar to Perfect Plain White Burfi
Love Sanjana
The photos are very beautiful. I have eaten barfi before but I have never tried to make it. Your recipe looks so easy and delicious that I will be making it for sure!
Best barfi we ever had. My daughter Ambica wanted to make barfi for navratri and you posted your recipe right on time!
Really really recommend it to everyone! So easy to follow steps and video helped a lot as well!
Thank you so much Sanjana!! X
Love this recipe ! It is the easiest and the most mouth watering Indian sweet Iāve ever made.
Made it for Navratri prashad the other day. It was so so so delicious that I got so many compliments for it. Thank you so much for the recipe Sanjana. Will definitely be making these for Diwali ā¤ļøāØāØ.
Sanjana this recipe just like all your recipes was super easy to follow. You were spot on with the arm workout! Nonetheless, it was a really lovely recipe to do with my almost 6 year old son. Papa had to come in for the muscles bit. The colour, the taste, the scent all reminds me of my childhood 'Diwali is coming' days. Love your recipes and your stye- photography and videos. Keep sharing the love!
Please email me your gorgeous recipes
Hands down the best Burfi recipe Iāve ever tried. Thank you for sharing your well tested and beautifully presented recipes with us Sanjana. I know I can always trust your recipes to work.
Thank you for this detailed beautiful recipe. I made this yesterday for last day of navratri and it was amazing. Planning on trying other flavors for Diwali.
Soul pleasing, super delicious, precisely detailed and amazingly easy. I had so much fun making this recipe. Thank you so much Sanjana for thorough explanation and reason to use each and every ingredient. Now that I made and loved the recipe, it does make all the sense to believe how each ingredient was equally important.
I can't wait to try all of your recipes.
Thanks once again for the delicious Barfi recipe.
I've always thought making any mithai was intimidating to make until I saw this recipe. Sanjana just makes it so easy to follow. So tasty and way better than any shop bought barfi I've tried!!
This recipe is perfect! My family has been super impressed with the burfi ! Came out absolutely delicious. Thank You so much for such a detailed recipe. All good wishes to you.
Best Burfi I have ever eaten let alone made myself. I am in awe of your detailed instructions and thoroughness. Please write a cookbook soon. I will be the first in line to buy copies for my whole family!
I made a small batch of this mithai and it tastes nice. A easy recipe that is simple to make. I need to try the gulab jamun recipe now ?xx
Me and my mum just made it and we love it thank you you Sanjana
Omg, it is indeed a "perfect" white burfi. I have been making Burfi past few years, but this one is the easiest and most delicious recipe so far. Measurements are super accurate, I followed exact steps as mentioned in the recipe and got this perfect textured, crumbly Burfi. Kudos to Sanjana for trying/testing 9 times to get this perfect recipe! Everyone in the family loved it, I guess I will be making this Burfi every Diwali then!?!!! š
Followed this recipe to the letter and it worked perfectly! It's even better than the stuff you get in the sweet shops. And dangerously quick and easy to whip up a batch...
Hi, I followed the recipe exactly but it was so runny when I put the milk powder in. In your video it shows that it was already like mashed potatoes. I cooked it for a while, it came together eventually, but it doesn't set completely. It's still soft.
Hi, did you use full-fat milk powder? Maybe try with a different brand as it definitely shouldn't be runny at the initial stage.
I have made Small batch . At first I want optimistic that it will work as it seem to easy to be true. However after having a little try it was AMAZING ??
BEAUTIFUL RECIPES
HIGH RECOMMEND
Hi Sanjana I've tried making the burfi twice following your recipe however both times I just cant seem to be able to get the crumbly texture! The only difference is I only have an induction hob .. please could you teach me what could I change to get the right texture? The taste is brilliant but just that they come out too gooey! X
Hi, it sounds like the mixture needs to be cooked for longer!
Made for Eid on Thursday. Absolutely perfect, it has set very well. Canāt wait to eat more of it!