Pistachio Burfi (No Sugar Syrup)

If you love pistachios, these green tinted pistachio burfi squares are a delightful treat to make on indian festivals.Made with fresh ground pistachios, pistachio nut butter, milk, sugar and milk powder, these have a crumbly, fudgy texture. It is a simple recipe that comes together in 30 minutes (plus barfi setting time!).

Pistachio burfi squares are placed on a gold plate with pistachios and rose in background.

With Diwali just around the corner, it's that time of the year when my kitchen is bustling with the aroma of homemade mithai. Burfi is one of my favorites,and luckily, it's quite simple to make. Every bite of this pista burfi has the perfect crunch of pistachios, the balmy aroma of green cardamom, and floral hints of rose water.

Traditionally, most indian sweets including burfi are made using khoya or mawa (milk solids).Good quality khoya is sometimes difficult to source in United States so over the years I have developed recipes of many of our favorite mithai using milk powder.

Pistachio Burfi

Indian burfi or barfi is often referred to fudge, and I have to admit, I also make the same comparison—until I tasted real fudge. While burfi certainly has a fudgy texture, it also grainy (danedaar) at the same time. It has more in terms of flavor, with rich, layered notes that set it apart.

Few burfi recipes for you to try - mango burfi, besan ki barfi, chocolate burfi

In Hindi, pistachios = pista. So pistachio burfi is also known as pista barfi. Studded with pistachios, it has a nutty flavor and a satisfying crunch in each bite.

Indian burfis are mostly flavored with green cardamom, but I also use rose water in my pistachio barfi recipe because rose & pistachios are divine together. I kept my recipe quite simple. Here are few more highlights of my pista burfi recipe:-

There's no need to prepare sugar syrup (chashni)—which is a relief, as I’m sure we’d all rather avoid dealing with the hassle of achieving the right thread (taar) consistency.
I use unsalted butter instead of ghee. I started using butter for burfi after when I developed my chocolate burfi recipe and loved the outcome. I feel that the butter gives the burfi a better texture after setting.
We are ging to double down on pistachios. I use fresh ground pistachios and to give a push to pistachio flavor, I use unsweetend pistachio nut butter (linking my favorite brand below). This is an ingredient you will need to purchase. If you want try making at home, this pistachio nut butter recipe by Cookie & Kate will come handy.
I do add green food coloring to enhance visual appeal, you do not have to if you don't want to.

Set pista burfi mixture cut into squares.

Tips for a Crumbly, Non Sticky Burfi

Use a non stick pan. This is a dairy heavy recipe and chances of milk or milk powder scalding are high. A non stick that retains heat will be wonderful.
Cook on low to low medium heat to avoid chances of burning as well as giving the barfi mixture enough time to come together. Slow cooking also gives the mixture a chance to develop flavors.
Stir frequently and keep a constant eye. Indian mithai needs patience and elbow grease. You will learn a lot by watching carefully & noting how the texture of barfi mixture feels under the spatula to understand the texture we want to achieve.
Don't over cook the barfi mixture, else the burfi will get sticky and won't be crumbly. For a crumbly texture, we want to cook sugar enough so that it melts & crystallizes as it cooks. If sugar overcooks, it will turn syrupy and your burfi will become sticky. This is a slightly tricky part of this otherwise easy recipe.
Lastly, to prevent soggy burfi, let the pista burfi cool down and set at room temperature before placing it in the fridge for setting further.

Ingredients

Milk Powder - I use Nido brand. In indian grocery stores, you will find milk powder for making mithai by brands such as Deep or Laxmi. Those will also work. Milk powder for mithai is different from non fat dry milk or beverage creamer.
Pistachios - Use raw, unsalted pistachios. If you can find shelled ones, that's the best. Please keep in mind that if you choose to not use food color, the color of burfi will vary depending on color of your pistachios.
Unsweetened Pistachio Butter -Pistachio butter is simply ground pistachios. It is different from pistachio cream or pistachio paste(which are sweetened). I like the pistachio butter from Wilderness Rose (non-affiliate link).
Milk - I always use whole milk for making desserts.
Green Cardamom Powder - Fresh ground cardamom is how we roll in indian kitchens but store bought cardamom powder will work too.
Rose Water or Rose Essence - You only need 1-2 drops if you are using rose essence.

Instructions

Grease a 8 inch square baking tray with ghee or line it with parchment paper. This will make it easier to remove the burfi once it's set. Set it aside for latter.
Add the raw pistachios to a small grinder jar and pulse to grind into a fine powder. Make sure that the pistachio powder does not become oily(can happen if you grind for long on high speed). You can leave some bits slightly coarse if you like- this will add texture in the burfi.
In a heavy-bottomed, non stick pan, add the butter, milk and sugar. Stir gently and let sugar dissolve over low medium heat. When the sugar is undissolved, you will feel that the mixture feels thickish to stir. It will be easier to stir after the sugar has melted.
Cook for 1-2 minutes until the mixture starts simmering.

We will cook the butter, milk and sugar until the sugar dissolves fully and the mixture is simmering.

Then, add pistachio nut butter. Mix well to incorporate with the milk & sugar mixture. Our wet ingredients are ready!
Next, add the dry ingredients -milk powder and pistachio powder. Also add the green cardamom powder, rose water and green food color. Stir everything using a soft spatula to mix very well. The mixture will feel quite thick.

Unsweetened pistachio nut butter is added next to the pan.

The wet ingredients are mixed until the nut butter is incorporated.

Cook the burfi mixture for next 4-5 minutes on low medium heat. The mixture will need quite some arm strength to mix but not for long. If the mixture gets stuck to sides of the pan and gets too dry, leave it(don't mix back).
When the mixture starts clumping around the spatula and you are able to fold it over itself. It's the right consistency. Switch off the stove. Do not over cook else the burfi will become sticky. You can test by taking a small portion and rolling it into a ball—it should hold shape and should not stick to your fingers.

Dry ingredients, flavorings and green food color is added next to the wet ingredients.

The pistachio burfi mixture is cooked on low heat until it starts leaving sides of pan.

Checking the doneness of burfi mixture by making a ball.

Immediately transfer the pista burfi mixture into the lined pan. Using a spatula, press it down evenly.
Garnish with some chopped pistachios on top for a decorative finish. Press down the pistachios you added on top so that they stick.
Let the burfi cool down and set for 1 hour at room temperature, and then place it in the fridge for 2-4 hours for setting.
Once cooled you can decorate it with edible silver leaf (warq). Using a sharp knife, cut it into square or diamond-shaped pieces. Wipe the knife between cuts for neatness. Your pista burfi is ready to serve! Store the burfi in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for a up to a week.

The burfi mixture is transferred to a lined square tray.

Pistachio burfi mixture is pressed down.

Burfi will be slightly hard straight out of the fridge (due to hardening of butter), let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Troubleshooting

If burfi mixture looks dry, gradually add 1-2 tablespoons (or as needed) of milk to fix it.
If burfi mixture becomes pasty, that means it got overcooked it and the sugar has become syrupy. A wet burfi mixture can be fixed by adding a little bit of milk powder or ground pistachios though keep in mind not to add too much else the overvall sweetness of burfi will be reduced. Below I am sharing 2 images from my recipe testing process. In the image on right, my burfi mixture got overcooked and though it still tasted great, the texture of barfi after setting was off.