Rakhi Delight: Indulgent Chocolate Milk Barfi and Steamed Sandesh Recipes

You’re in the right place if you looked up chocolate milk burfi, or even chocolate burfi with cocoa powder, because this one recipe uses both of them. What better occasion than Rakhi to try these at home and feed guests and your loved ones? We also have a steamed sandesh recipe in case going through the chocolate burfi recipe makes you dizzy. Rest assured, the second mithai has way fewer calories and is delicious in its simplicity. In case you feel like reading up more, here’s a little story of the beloved Sondesh.

Indulgent Chocolate Milk Barfi Recipe

(Makes 16 pieces)

Key Ingredients & Flavor Combinations

For Milk Layer:

• 500 gm milk powder

• 165 ml milk

• 60 ml ghee

• 125 gm sugar

• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

For Chocolate Layer:

• 500 gm milk powder

• 165 ml milk

• 60 ml ghee

• 165 gm powdered sugar

• 15 gm cocoa powder

• 60 gm chocolate chips

To garnish:

• 60 gm pistachios, finely chopped

• 60 gm almonds, finely chopped

How to Make

1. Use powdered sugar or grind granulated sugar in a blender. Then grease a square baking tin, press down parchment paper, and set aside.

2. Heat the ghee in a non-stick pan. Once hot, add milk and reduce the heat to low.

3. Next, add the milk powder and mix well to dissolve any powdery lumps. It will start to solidify in a few minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Add the cardamom powder and mix.

4. Cook it over low heat until it starts to leave the sides of the pan.

5. Check if it's done by rolling it into a ball. The ball should be smooth and not be sticking to anything.

6. Remove from heat and scrape into a baking tin. Use a spatula to level the surface to your desired thickness. Allow it to cool down.

7. Now, to make the chocolate layer, mix cocoa powder with a little milk and set aside.

8. Take a non-stick pan. Heat ghee with milk and milk powder. Once it's blended, add the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder mixture. Mix until lump-free and then add the chocolate chips. Stir continuously until the choco chips dissolve.

9. Cook this mixture on low flame until it comes together and leaves the sides of the pan. Transfer this mixture onto the milk layer in the tin.

10. Using a greased silicone spatula, level and smooth it.

11. Once the burfi is warm to the touch, garnish it with the chopped pistachios and almonds.

12. Let it chill in the fridge for an hour, then take it out of the tin. Use a sharp knife to cut into shapes of your choice.

Steamed Sandesh Recipe

(Makes 12 pieces)

Key Ingredients & Flavor Combinations

• 4 liters full-fat milk

• 60 ml vinegar

• 75 gm powdered sugar

• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

• A big pinch of saffron strands

• 120 ml warm milk

How to Make

1. Take a third of the saffron strands, add them to ¼ cup of milk, and set aside to flavor.

2. Add the rest of the milk to a large pot and bring to a boil.

3. While the milk heats, combine equal parts water and vinegar. Add a little to the boiling milk and switch off the flame. Keep adding the vinegar water slowly, all the while stirring the pot. The milk will curdle.

4. Once the milk curdles, strain it into a muslin cloth and discard the whey. Rinse with cool water twice to remove the sour vinegar flavor.

5. Gather up the sides of the cloth and give the chenna a soft squeeze.

6. Add this fresh chenna to a blender to grind until it's smooth.

7. Add the saffron milk, all the powdered sugar, and cardamom powder to the chenna, then grind again until smooth and combined.

8. Take a baking tray, grease it with ghee or butter, and scrape the chenna into it. Smooth until flat, then tap the tray twice to remove any trapped air.

9. Add the remaining saffron strands over the chenna.

10. You can easily steam the chenna in a steamer or this other process. Take a deep, flat-bottomed pot and boil three cups of water in it. Place a wire stand over it. As the water starts to steam, turn the heat down to low and place the chenna tray on the wire rack.

11. Cover with a lid and steam for 30 minutes. Keep the heat on low-medium. Use a knife to check after 30 minutes. Poke into the sandesh, and if it comes out clean, it's done.

12. Remove the tray and let it cool. Dismantle the rest of the equipment too.

13. Pop it into the fridge once it's done and let it chill for 30 minutes. Once chilled, take it out and let it sit for 30 minutes for easy demolding and slicing.

Celebrating Rakhi with Sweet Indulgence

Rakhi celebrates family ties and gatherings, and nothing enhances the experience like a good selection of sweets. Whether you treat your siblings by letting them eat a bit of mithai post-rakhi tying or sharing a box of mithai with your relatives who come to visit you, you can make the occasion more fun through sweets.

The Tradition of Sweets in Rakhi

The essence of Rakhi lies in the sweet relationship between brothers and sisters. While traditional mithais like barfi, ladoo, and sandesh are included in any festive fare, homemade mithais can make them even more unique. A rakhi milk barfi prepared at home can make the occasion more meaningful and show your loved ones that you have made the offering especially for them.

This Rakhi milk barfi recipe adds a unique twist to the traditional barfi by adding chocolate to the milk. This makes the dessert more interesting for both mithai fans and chocolate lovers. You can combine milk barfi with steamed Sandesh to create a delightful dessert platter featuring a variety of flavors.

Enhancing Your Festive Experience

Creating a Festive Atmosphere

A little effort in decorating can transform a regular home celebration into a festive one. Decorate your dining table with colorful cloth, flowers, and bowls of dry fruits. Place the barfi and Sandesh on a beautiful platter rather than simply piling them up.

You can also use separate serving dishes, such as paper cases or individual plates, for the desserts. You can decorate the desserts with strands of saffron, pistachios, rose petals, or silver leaf. Make sure you keep a container of masala chai or cardamom tea so that your guests can enjoy their sweets with a hot drink.

To give your celebration a personal touch, prepare sweet boxes as gifts for your siblings and cousins. You can include a handwritten note along with your mithai to make the experience more special for them.

Why Choose Cadbury for Your Festive Sweets (new)

The Cadbury Difference

Cadbury chocolate is famous for its creamy and sweet taste, which blends perfectly with traditional Indian desserts. The smooth texture of Cadbury chocolate makes it easier to use in preparations like chocolate barfi, where you get to combine rich flavors of milk mithais and chocolate.

Incorporating Cadbury in your festive recipes can help when you are trying to introduce chocolates to your traditional mithai recipes. Chocolate chips can be added to the mixture, and chopped chocolates can be used as a garnish with the pistachio and almond toppings.

A combination of milk, chocolate, cardamom and nuts works very well for Rakhi as it combines contemporary dessert tastes with Indian traditional flavoring. Therefore, chocolate milk barfi goes well alongside traditional mithais on the festive platter without looking out of place.