Summer Special: Mango Burfi

Summers are for mangoes and nostalgia!

It is mango season and for my family, this is a HUGE deal. I have extensively chronicled both mine and my family's love for this tropical fruit in previous blog posts so I won't go there today. 

You might be aware that I have an annual summer tradition of posting a mango-based recipe don't you? Well then here it is 😋

I usually don't kick off mango season by incorporating the much-anticipated fruit in my cooking and baking endeavors. I first make sure I have face-planted into as many bowls of different varieties of fresh mango goodness as I can and only after I have had my fill do I start contemplating using it in drinks, dishes and desserts. Tee-hee

This year I have gone out of my comfort zone and made Mango Burfi which is an Indian sweet. I am heaps better at making Western desserts when compared to traditional Indian sweets so the past several years, that is what I've done. You can check out my Mango Panna Cotta, Easy Mango Sorbet, Tropical Mango Cupcakes, Mango Chia Pudding, Fresh Mango Cake with Whipped Cream and Dark Chocolate Collar and Pavlova with Mango and Passionfruit. 

It has been two weeks of enjoying mangoes in their glorious native form. We have had Thai mangoes, Australian mangoes, Indian Alphonso and Banganapalli mangoes so far. I am yet to explore what other types are currently available. That said, I miss being in India during summer because of how many local varieties of mangoes flood the markets. You will truly be spoilt for choices.

This year I made a pledge to try out more types of Indian sweets and savories to get better at making them so I have made a start with these delicious Mango Burfis.

So lets talk about this particular Mango Burfi recipe. While trawling the internet for ideas, I came across many Mango Burfi recipes that called for desiccated coconut. I wasn't too keen on using coconut since I occasionally make coconut burfi and apple coconut burfi so I felt it would taste similar. I saw some recipes that used khoya and milk powder. I had both at home but I decided to use up the milk powder since it was inching towards the expiration date. 

This recipe is actually quite easy. All you need are fresh mangoes (Alphonso would be preferable) or canned mango pulp, full-fat condensed milk, unsalted butter, whole milk, cardamom powder, milk powder and pistachios. Seven simple ingredients and half an hour of your time is all it takes. You do have to keep and eye on it and there is some stirring involved but if you follow all the instructions properly, it is pretty much a fool-proof recipe. 

I let the mango burfi set properly in the fridge overnight and the next day, cut it into clean squares with a sharp knife. With the pale orange hue and the pops of green on top, they looked quite pretty. Everyone at home liked the mango burfis. The mango flavour was subtle, the sweetness just right and it had a nice melt-in-the mouth texture. The pistachios added a pleasant crunch and color. I have been adding them to my snack box and my children's yum boxes and I'm sure they will disappear in no time.

If you have any celebrations coming up, you should try this recipe. I guarantee you will love it 😊

Mango Burfi

Preparation time: 5-10 min

Cooking time: ~25 min

Chilling time: 3 hours to overnight

Makes: 25 pieces

Recipe category: Dessert/Indian

Recipe level: Easy

Recipe source: Inspired from here

Ingredients:

500ml mango purée (~2 large or 4 small ripe and pulpy mangoes)

200ml condensed milk

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp unsalted butter 

1/3 cup whole milk 

350gm milk powder, sifted 

20 pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped/crushed

Method:

1. Line a square dish with baking/parchment paper. Keep all the ingredients ready. 

2. If using fresh mango, peel and chop the mangoes and make into a fine purée (without adding additional water). Strain it through a mesh sieve to get rid of any fibres. If you’re using ready mango puree just add to a bowl. 

3. Mix the mango purée & condensed milk together in a pot.

4. Heat the mixture on medium to low heat. Once it comes to a boil, cook for 10-12 mins uncovered stirring intermittently. You will notice that the mixture will reduce slightly. 

5. Add the butter, milk and cardamom powder and continue to cook on low heat for another 15 mins. The mixture will further reduce. 

6. Now keep the flame at very low and gradually add in the milk powder little bit little while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Once all the milk powder has been added, the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pot and comes together in a dough.

7. Add the dough into the prepared dish and press down uniformly. You can use a little ghee to get a smooth top. Sprinkle over with pistachios and press lightly.

8. Let chill in the fridge for 3 hours or preferably overnight

9. Cut with a sharp knife into shape of your choice and enjoy.

Notes:

• Use ripe and flavorful Indian mangoes for best results
• Preferably use full-fat condensed milk and whole milk 
• You can substitute the milk with double cream and skip the butter
• You CANNOT substitute milk powder with organic coconut milk powder
• You can add in some saffron strands for more fragrance if desired
• If you don't want mango burfis, you can also shape the dough into small pedhas with greased palms while it is still warm
• You can decorate the burfis with almond slivers if you don't have pistachios
• Store the burfis in an airtight box, preferably in the fridge

Cheers,

Megha