Bal mithai is a dark brown fudge made by slowly roasting khoya (dried milk solids) with ghee and sugar until it tastes deeply of caramel. Each piece is rolled in tiny white sugar-coated balls, which give it its speckled look and crunch. Makes 24 pieces in about 7 hr 11 min.
Prep10 min
Cook60 min
Cooling6 hr 1 min
Total
7 hr 11 min
Yield
24 pieces
DietGluten free
Ingredients
Adjust yield
pieces
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
½ oz (15 g)ghee, plus a little for greasing
1 lb (500 g)khoya (mawa), unsweetened, crumbled or grated
¾ cup (150 g)sugar
½ tsp (1 g)ground green cardamom
6 tbsp (80 g)bal dana (tiny white sugar balls), or nonpareils
Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with a little ghee.
Melt the 15 g ghee in a heavy, wide pan over low heat. Add the khoya and stir constantly, breaking up lumps, as it melts, bubbles and slowly darkens. Keep the heat low and scrape the bottom often until the khoya is an even deep chocolate brown and smells of caramel, 40 to 45 minutes.
Add the sugar. It will melt and loosen the mixture; keep stirring over low heat until it thickens again into a glossy mass that pulls away from the pan, 12 to 15 minutes. A little dropped on a cold plate should firm up within a minute.
Stir in the ground green cardamom and scrape the mixture into the greased pan. Press it into an even layer about 1.5 cm (5/8 inch) thick with a greased spatula.
Leave to cool and set at room temperature until firm enough to cut cleanly, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Cut into 24 rectangles (4 by 6 cuts).
Spread the bal dana on a plate and roll each piece in it, pressing so the sugar balls stick on all sides.
Tips
Patience is the recipe: high heat burns khoya before it caramelizes and makes the fudge bitter.
Use firm, dry khoya (batti or pindi khoya); very soft khoya takes longer to brown.
Rub a little ghee on your fingers if the pieces are dry, so the sugar balls stick.
Good with masala chai.
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How long does it take to make bal mithai (almora browned khoya fudge)?
Plan on 10 minutes of prep and 1 hour of cooking, plus 6 hours 1 minutes to chill and rest. The recipe makes 24 pieces.
How should I store bal mithai (almora browned khoya fudge)?
Keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks; bring to room temperature before serving.
Can I make bal mithai (almora browned khoya fudge) ahead?
Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.
Bal mithai comes from Almora in the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand, where khoya is slowly roasted until dark brown, set, cut and rolled in tiny white sugar balls. Serve it with masala chai.
Variations
Rose and pistachio: stir 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) rose water in with the cardamom and press 20 g (2 tbsp) finely chopped pistachios onto the top before rolling; time unchanged.
Date and walnut: stir 50 g (1/3 cup) finely chopped pitted dates and 30 g (1/4 cup) finely chopped walnuts in with the sugar; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Bite-size gift cubes: cut into 36 small cubes (6 by 6) and roll as written; setting time unchanged.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.
125Calories / serving
5.4gFat
14.8gCarbs
4.4gProtein
14.5gSugar
Whole recipe (24 servings):
~3000 cal ·
130g fat ·
355g carbs ·
106g protein ·
348g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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