One of the best perks of being part of the blogosphere is the amazing people I get to meet from across the world – people I would have never had the good fortune of meeting otherwise. One such person is Ms. Chithra Vishwanathan who writes http://www.askChitVish.com (Facebook page: Ask Chitvish). I adore her recipes because it takes me back to my roots in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu – the dishes tantalize my olfactory senses and transport me instantly to my avva’s (grandmother) kitchen. I still miss avva so, so, so much – even in the ICU her worry was if others had remembered to pack my favorite dish for my lunch box. What can I say – I was an indulged granddaughter 🙂 I have never met Ms. Chithra in person but even online she emanates the graceful strength, modesty and beauty synonymous with the quintessential beautiful Indian woman! I have adapted many of her recipes to make it Allergy Friendly and one such recipe that I re-invented over the holiday season was the Chocolate Burfi.
Burfi is an Indian dessert and has a consistency akin to a fudge and in its most essential form it is made with dairy and sugar. It has numerous variations and of course the one with cocoa powder is my fav…
Ingredients:
- Dari-free powder: 2 cups
Courtesy: Photo taken from DariFree website - Sugar: 2 cups
- Water: 1 cup
- Earth Balance Butter substitute: 2 tbsp
Courtesy: Picture taken from Earth Balance website - Cocoa: 2 tbsp
Method:
- Sieve together Dari-free milk powder substitute and cocoa.
- Boil the water and sugar on a low fire, stirring constantly.
- When it just reaches soft ball consistency, add butter and remove. Now this is the tricky stage so, first time candy makers like myself have to be extra vigilant. I found this link very useful in explaining the various stages of candy making: ‘The cold water candy test’ . The water temperature at the soft-ball stage is approximately 235 – 240 C so, if you have a candy thermometer – go for it! However, don’t be super-scared. Even if the sugar syrup moves on to the next stage – ‘hard-ball stage’ – the candy will taste like super-awesome caramel
- Add the dry mixture, stirring continuously.
- When it reaches dough consistency, empty into a greased plate and cut into pieces squares or diamonds!
Bon appétit! Thank you Ms. Chithra for the awesome inspiration…
Allergy Foodie 
Looks yummy Any; can we use soy milk instead of Dari-Free?
You can most absolutely use Soy powder. In fact – will be tastier, healthier and richer due to higher protein/ fat content.
Mmm..those do look amazing. Added it to my list of stuff to bake someday. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Latha 🙂
Dari-free powder…is it like a protein powder? Never heard of it.
On another note, I would like to award you with the ‘Very Inspiring Blogger’ Award! Your allergy friendly creative dishes always inspire me to try something new…whether it be a new spice or flavour combination. I just posted the rules…come on over and view the other 14 nominations and be prepared to be inspired! Susan H. @ The Food Allergy Chronicles
Thank you so much Susan – it just so made my day and I apologize for the inordinate delay in getting back to you. I would love to see the other nominations coz inspiration is all I need…
Dari-free is not a protein powder. It is a dairy-free substitute made from potato flour. Can be used remarkably well for various desserts and of course Arjun has it everyday in stead of milk.
Thank you so much for this blog & for introducing Dari-free. My son is allergic to dairy, eggs, tree nuts including coconut, lentils, soy, oats, sweet potatoes, apples, peanuts, peas etc and I constantly sweep the internet to look for interesting recipes which are friendly to him. Can we get this in Whole Foods ? I am looking for protein substitutes for him. Do you have any suggestion? I tried to incorporate rice protein in his diet and he hates it.
Thank you so much for visiting Allergy Foodie. DariFree is not available in retail outlets. You have to buy it from their online store – http://www.gfcf-foods.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1814&Click=4.
As for protein substitutes – hemp protein is an excellent protein source. Also – have you tried other pulses apart from lentils? I had written a post about it a while back: Beyond lentils: allergy friendly ‘Vegetarian Proteins’
Thanks sooo much for this delicious recipe! My husband was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease but was a major chocoholic…BIG conflict. Now we’re both happy. 😉
Thank you for this lovely recipe. Just to let your know Dari-Free is available in many retail stores. I can buy it in our local health food store, and I have also purchased it in a major chain grocery store. I am excited to see your recipe using water chestnut flour, I bought some but then had no idea what to do with it. Thank you!