Mama’s Malai Ghee Barfi

Ruelha, 
My mom made this awesome barfi.
And gave some to me.
It was super delicious.
Much more than many sweets from Christmas.
I didn't click any fancy pictures.
But, check out the image that is featured.

You can tell I've developed a sweet tooth.
Because off late, all I've been writing about is 'food'.
Up until a few years ago, I disliked sweets.
I liked only chocolate and few other sugar treats.
But, I don't know what has happened to me today.
That I've starting craving and behaving this way.

Let me tell you about this barfi.
That was not really made especially for me.
You see, my mom - she makes her own ghee.
Well, it's a long and tedious process, you see.
Skimming and collecting milk cream daily.
She's got a lot of patience, this lady.

Once you collect a decent amount of cream,
you can churn that to butter and redeem.
And if you're a sucker for pain,
you render that, ghee to attain.
I almost forgot, you have to stir the pot continuously.
And sweat it out like your life depends on it solely.

It's a labour of love. First of all to just make ghee.
And then, to gather the residue and make this sweet that's lovely.
There's another benefit - nothing goes to waste.
And you really can't argue about the taste.
Technically, it's not really a barfi.
But, it's made from milk solids, so similar category.

I don't care, whatever it's called.
It had me enthralled.
I do feel bad for my mother.
And this is exactly what I told her.
Just buy readymade ghee.
You're too old for this already.

- RUELHA
www.ruelha.com
© Copyright Protected. All Rights Reserved

37 Comments

  1. You know “barf” in English means throw up? So barfi does not sound appetizing. But they look good in the photos. I agree, buy ready made ghee. It is worth the glee that will allow your dear mother to do other things much more fun than skimming and collecting milk cream daily. I don’t believe you could make ghee in the US. We can’t get raw milk. It’s against the law, unless you own your own cow and milk it yourself.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oh yes 🙂 Hahahhhaha.
      But I loveeeee barfi. Almost all kinds of them. You gotta try one sometime, Tim. You’ll forget about the name 🙂

      Actually, she made it from pasteurized milk. Most people in the cities buy pasteurized milk. But, it’s fresh milk that lasts for a few days only unlike the tetrapacks and huge bottles you get in the US. This milk is not UHT treated so much of the cream is intact and forms a layer once boiled at home. Since it’s not UHT treated, as soon as it’s delivered in the morning{in sealed plastic packets} when it’s fresh, it needs to be boiled, cooled and refrigerated or it gets rancid immediately. Since the milk you get is already heat treated, you won’t get much cream if and once boiled.

      I, on the other hand buy only tetrapacks because I don’t like that thick layer of cream formation or the task of boiling milk every time it’s delivered and storing them in steel vessels, and then the extra dishes. Besides, fresh milk is highly perishable and lasts a lot lesser than UHT treated milk.

      That being said, you are right. We get a lot of raw milk here too. It’s so easily available. There are dairies all over. I have three of them within a half km radius near my home. In fact, even the stables are adjoining some of these dairies that sell absolutely fresh and raw unpasteurized untreated milk.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  2. Tasty Looking Desert Rue Yet Oh No

    Hehe “You’re too old for this already.”

    Ghee Does Seem Like A Big Task for Your

    Mom Yet i’ve Heard This “Too Old Comment”

    Way too Young From Folks like the Marine Captain

    Complaining That He was getting too Weak to Bench Press

    For his Age At 30 And When my Rheumatologist Who Couldn’t

    Figure out How to Resolve My Pains From Head to Toe Told Me We Mirrored

    Each other at 47 Insisting i was getting Older then And Expect to get Weaker Like Him

    Yet You See i not Only Did Anthropology, And Social Sciences For College Degrees i Did

    Health Science As Well in a Curriculum of Sports, Leisure, And Health… So i Read About

    The Life of Jack LaLanne Who Helped Create the “Universal Weight Machine” Last
    Century and He Towed a Fleet of 60 Boats into His 60’s and 70’s Swimming Across

    A Bay Plus Eventually i Knew A Navy Captain

    Who Shrugged 700 Pounds into His Mid-70’s

    And Squatted 450 Pounds as Well

    True in College The Sociology

    Teachers Suggested i was

    Overzealous when i already

    New Exercising Mind, Body,

    SPiRiT, HeART, SoUL iN Balance

    Is the Fountain of Youth As Case-Study

    Evidence Showed then.. the Nocebo Effect

    Is As Real As the Placebo Effect Use it or Lose

    It In Positive Emotions Versus the Other Place in Meditative

    Flow is A Real Assessed Fountain of Youth and had i Believed

    The Naysayers not Likely i would have Grown 3 Times Stronger

    in Leg Pressing 500 up to 1520 Pounds, 3 Months Shy of 61, Mind over

    Matter Attitude Visualizing in Imagination What Ya Can And Will Do Now

    Never Say Never Again With SMiLes Practically Miracles Happen Moving Mountains..:)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      2. SMiles Rue My Other Indian
        Friend For 6 Years Who is
        Pushing 30 Now Who looks
        Very Much Like Your Mom
        Younger in Your Picture
        of Her has Parents
        Younger Than me
        And Actually Her
        Mom Is Three
        (She is Very
        Pretty Like All
        Indian Women)
        Years Younger

        Than

        Katrina…

        i Have Friends

        From 18 To 70’s Spreading

        Four Generations And Before
        i Left The Dance Hall Dancing
        With Generation Z Last
        Year as COVID-19
        Shut it

        Down

        Three

        Generations

        Away From me At 18…

        Energizer Bunny Hehe

        Never Would Have Imagined

        It At 25 When i Thought oh

        No i’m Getting

        SO Old Then

        i’d Feel

        Younger

        In Every

        Way

        Less
        Than 3 Months
        From 61 Hehe
        Relatives Name

        Her The Eternal

        Teenager

        And

        Katrina

        Calls me Princess

        A Real Twisted Beauty

        And Beast Story Hehe

        Good Night To You in

        India Surrogate Daughter

        Rue True It

        Seems i

        Have Thousands

        At Least The Facebook

        Profile Pics Indicate this
        When i Went To Get my
        Pandemic Vaccine

        They Said

        Oh Is

        This Your

        Pretty Daughter

        As The ‘Dirty Old

        (Younger Than me)

        Man’ Was Lusting

        After The Soon To

        Be 51 In April

        Daughter Wife Hehe😜

        Life is Good In Every Way🏝🎼

        Like

        Reply

    1. HAhahhahahah. Thank you Saji. That last line is out of love for my mum. I keep telling her not to take so much trouble….I want her to rest more instead of taxying her bones. 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. I just LOVE barfi! I seek it out and have recently found a shop near my son where I can buy it fresh! That looks yummy too. I had no idea how it is made, except with milk product, lots of sugar and usually nuts…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Wow Dawn. I love barfi too….almost all kinds of barfi, especially anjeer{fig}, malai{cream} and mango. It’s usually a whole lot of reduced solid milk and sugar with the added fruits/nuts for flavour. I can eat an entire box and not even realize the thousands of calories I would have gorged on. What’s your favourite type?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I couldn’t tell you what was in most of them – some very delicate, exquisite flavours and mostly nuts if additions – but I would love the fig ones as I really love figs too… I want some now!

        Like

        Reply

      2. The most similar thing in UK sweets I think is perhaps a home-made fudge? Often made with condensed milk, sugar and desired flavourings. But there is something in barfi that is even nicer.

        Like

        Reply

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