I absolutely love making mithai with fruits added in and this banana burfi came out really good. My husband loved it a lot. Its a treat for banana lovers. This is also called kele ki burfi. In Hindi kela means banana. Banana, coconut and cardamom are truly one delicious combo. This burfi is soft & creamy without being overly sweet. It has a fudge like consistency and amazing banana flavor in each and every bite. You can have it as a snack for fasting or offer as prasad. If you are fasting for Shivratri, you can try other easy indian sweet recipes that I shared earlier like pineapple peda or sweet potato peda or lavender peda.
Ingredients (Notes)
For this easy burfi recipe you will need:-
Ripe Bananas - Though not overly ripe else the barfi will be dark in color. Milk- Use full Fat MilkDesiccated Coconut- Unsweetened. SugarGhee - Or unsalted butter can be used as well. Milk Powder. I like to use full fat milk powder like Nido brand. Please avoid using non fat milk powder. Green Cardamom. You can use saffron or any other flavor you like.
How to Make Banana Burfi?
Line a tray or thali with parchment or wax paper. I used a 7 by 10 baking sheet. Start by mashing the banana. Simply use a fork to mash the banana. Bring milk to a boil and add the mashed bananas.
Now we will cook down the milk stirring it from time to time until most of the liquid is evaporated until we get thickish paste. Keep stirring to avoid sticking.
Next, add the sugar and desiccated coconut and cook it with the bananas for about 8-12 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the coconut looks looks swelled up. The mixture will start to really thicken.
Add the ghee and bhuno (sautè) the banana mixture for 5-6 minutes or until it appears glistening. There will be some caramelization of sugars in the banana and you might see some brown specks at the bottom but don’t worry.
Mix in the milk powder and cardamom powder and combine well. Cook the barfi mixture for 2-3 minutes. One of the ways to know that the barfi mix is ready is when its soft and you are able to fold it over itself. Transfer the warm mixture to a greased or wax paper lined tray and smoothen the top using a spatula. Press down some chopped nuts if you like.
Let cool and set down completely for 4-6 hours. You can refrigerate if its warm where you live. Using a sharp knife slice the burfi slab into squares.
My Tips
Use good quality, fresh ingredients. Like milk powder with high fat content & full fat milk. Make sure that the bananas are not overly ripe else the barfi gets sticky and dark in color. Cook the barfi mixture on constant low medium heat with continuous attention. Constant heat maintains a constant temperature of the barfi mix and contributes to the texture of the barfi. Too low heat will make the process lengthy and the texture of burfi might get sticky. On high heat, there are chances of burning. Depending on how sweet the banana are you can adjust the sugar in this recipe. Tip:- When the barfi mixture is ready to be set, it will start leaving the sides of the pan and you will be able to fold it over itself.
Variations
Instead of green cardamom, you can flavor the barfi with saffron infused in milk. You can add ¼ cup of ground nuts like cashews or almonds for added taste and richness. Use evaporated milk instead of regular milk, however the color of the banana barfi is brownish in that case. You can add chopped walnuts on top, banana & walnuts is an amazing combo.
Storage
Store the banana burfi refrigerated and consume within 4 or 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing it.
