Barfi Ka Paratha

I don’t think anyone in my family really likes Barfi. This is not how you would have imagined this post would start, but hear me out. Barfi or more specifically Khoya or Mawa Barfi is made with milk solids or khoya/mawa combined with sugar syrup and set on a sheet tray or plate. The only Barfi we appreciate in our household, is when it is made from fresh good quality Khoya.

The best barfis I have ever tasted have been from Punjab, where dairy is a big deal. And I understand that Barfi is not something Punjab is known for. But in Noida, where I grew up, this freshly made almost beige coloured barfi was a rarity. We only got pale greenish khoya barfi made from sub par khoya and milk powder, that in my opinion was not as great. Don’t get me wrong, Barfi, even the greenish cardamom flavoured with pista slivers embedded and anointed with chaandi ka vark can be delicious, provided it is fresh.

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The best khoya barfi I ever had…

I remember going for a trip in the mid 1990s to the district of Moga in Punjab, for a wedding on my mom’s side of the family. During the wedding my brother and I were almost sloshed after sharing a huge kangni wala glass of sweet lassi. The rich and creamy sweet lassi from Punjab is known for slowing you down and us kids were very sleepy afterwards for some reason. I don’t think we remember much after that but the next day, as our family got ready for the drive back to Delhi NCR, our hosts graciously handed my parents boxes full of fresh Barfi.

At first we were a bit underwhelmed but as soon as we had the first bite of the Barfi, we knew this was something else! The beige coloured soft barfi was creamy and delicious and was definitely made from fresh khoya. The only people in my house who did rave about good Barfi were my paternal grandparents who probably knew what the real deal was, and now we had tasted it too.

Diwali and the Barfi abundance

Come Diwali, and one sees an abundance of mithai and dry fruits being passed around amongst family and friends. The usual suspects are the much disliked Soan papdi and the omnipresent Barfi. Growing up, I remember people sending or bringing us stacks of mithai boxes on Diwali. Every time we found out that there was Barfi inside the box, we knew that there were only two things we would do with it. Either we would pass around the box to another family or we would make Barfi Parathas!

Barfi Paratha: The best way to use up excess Khoya Barfi

I’m not sure whether it was my grandmother or my mom who came up with this idea of using excess barfi as a stuffing in parathas but it’s as close it gets to a Khoya paratha. It’s a quick and easy dessert and super convenient to make. The last pedha of atta would be stuffed with barfi and left on the griddle as we all finished our meals. The barfi stuffed paratha would then be sliced and distributed amongst every one to appease our sweet tooth.

On a recent trip to Agra, my in-laws tried different kinds of Parathas at the famous Rambabu Paratha Bhandar. Amongst the various parathas they tried, the khoya paratha stood out for them. And when they told me about it, I had an aha moment and told them an easy way to make similar tasting parathas at home was with leftover Barfi. And hence this post!

Barfi ka Paratha is a sweet paratha made with just crumbled mawa/khoya barfi. If you have leftover aata/dough sitting in the fridge and some barfi, you have all that you’ll need for this sweet snack or post meal dessert. All you need to do is stuff crumbled barfi (no need to grate!) in an aate ka pedha, roll it out and cook the parathas. And you have a beautiful sweet paratha treat!

Recipe testing the Barfi ka (Oh so Sweet!) Paratha

Making Barfi paratha is as simple as it sounds and there isn’t nothin much to it. It all depends on the ingredients you have at hand, and how sweet you like your parathas! At first, I tried making a paratha with just 2 teaspoons of crumbled Barfi. I cooked it on a hot tawa with drops of ghee and towards the end cooked it on medium low heat, pressing it gently with a flat spatula.

The sweet paratha was crispy on the outside so I cut it like a pizza with a knife. When opened, each slice had a thin and sticky filling of melted barfi. The results were delicious and the texture was crispy but I didn’t find the paratha to be as sweet as I wanted it to be. So for the next attempt, I added a lot more crumbled barfi as filling and I had found the sweet spot!

How sweet you want your Barfi paratha to be, depends on you. Here I share a medium sweet version and you can adjust the quantity for, by reducing the amount of filling in your paratha. The neutral unsalted dough balances the sweetness and prevents the resultant paratha to be overtly sweet.

Here’s how you can make Barfi ka Paratha

Serves 4; Makes 4 Parathas

Prep time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• Khoya Barfi, 100 grams or around 4-5 squares
• Whole wheat flour/ Gehun ka Aata, 1 cup OR Unsalted whole wheat dough/ Aata, around 4 golf ball size pedhas
• Filtered Water (if kneading the dough fresh), 3/4 cup approx or as needed to knead a soft pliable dough
• Ghee or Oil for cooking, 1-2 tablespoons
• Dry Whole Wheat Flour/ Aata, a few tablespoons for dusting

Special Equipment: A flat griddle/Pan or Tawa; A rolling pin or belan; A chakla or flat clean counter space for rolling

Method

Prepare the Dough

Start by gathering all ingredients. If your have prepared aata dough sitting in the fridge, then bring it out to room temperature or let it rest 5-10 minutes on the kitchen shelf. Same for the barfi, it would be softer at room temperature. Alternatively, if you don’t have aata dough ready, start by kneading the dough.

To knead the dough, place the flour in a wide vessel like a paraat. Gradually add a few tablespoons worth of water, and mix it in with clean hands. Keep adding small quantities of water and kneading till you the dough starts coming together.

Once the dough starts coming together, add very little water and knead more. After kneading for 5-7 minutes, the dough should spring back on poking. Grease the dough with a few drops of ghee and keep aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Barfi Paratha Mise En Place

Place a tawa or flat bottom heavy griddle or pan on medium high heat while the dough rests.

Crumble the squares of barfi and keep assemble your roti mise en place. I explain the roti mise en place in my Besan Paratha post.

Divide the dough into small dough balls or pedhas. Each pedha should be roughly the size of a golf ball.

Dust the pedha with some flour and roll it into a small 1/8th inch thick disk using your rolling pin or belan.

Place 2 tablespoons worth of crumbled barfi in the middle of the disk and pleat the ends of the disk in the middle, like you would close a dumpling. Seal the ends by pressing them together. Pat the ball gently and roll between your palms to make the ball round again.

Dust the sealed and filled dough ball with dry four and gently roll it out into a bigger round disk. Don’t roll it out too thin or the filling will ooze out and stick. A little ooze is favourable though as it lends to crispiness.

Cook Barfi Paratha on Tawa

After this, transfer the rolled barfi paratha on the hot tawa. Maintain the heat on medium and cook for 2 minutes before flipping.

Now grease the barfi paratha with a few drops of ghee after flipping. You don’t need to use much. Some barfi may melt and ooze out and that is fine.

While this Barfi paratha cooks, repeat the rolling and filling steps with another pedha so that you are ready to cook the next one on the tawa.

Flip and grease again with a few drops and cook till you see brown spots on the Barfi Paratha.

Once crispy brown, take the Barfi Paratha off heat.

Serve the Barfi Paratha hot and enjoy the taste of sweet and creamy melted Barfi in a crispy paratha!