This besan barfi is a classic Indian mithai that I love making at home with just a handful of simple ingredients! Besan (gram flour) is slowly roasted in ghee until beautifully nutty and aromatic, then combined with sugar syrup and green cardamom for a soft, and melt-in-the-mouth barfi that's hard to stop at just one piece.
It's perfect for Indian festivals like Diwali, Holi, Krishna Janmashtami and Raksha Bandhan.Or anytime you're craving a homemade sweet. You only need a few ingredients and about 40-45 minutes, and I'll walk you through the little details that give you that perfectly roasted besan flavor and soft texture every time.
As someone who loves pretty much anything made with besan, this burfi is one of my favorites! It's soft and crumbly, with the richness of ghee coming through in every bite. The texture is quite different from both besan ladoo and besan halwa.
While ladoo is softer and almost sandy and halwa is warm and spoonable, burfi has a more structured texture. Break one of those little squares in half and you'll notice a slight snap from the sugar syrup before it gives way to that delicate, crumbly center.
I make batch after batch of this burfi during the winter months. If you ask me, a piece of besan burfi with a hot cup of chai or even a glass of warm milk is absolutely heavenly during the cold months.
Last year I created fusion recipe of besan burfi cheesecake bites on my Instagram page for Diwali.It's fun twist on traditional taste and a good option to try if you love besan based sweets as much as we do.
Ingredients
- Besan (Gram Flour)- Use fine besan. It is easily available in most indian grocery stores. I recommend buying a fresh pack of besan when you want to make barfi.
- Ghee - Use good quality desi ghee.Ghee adds the aroma and taste of the barfi.
- Sugar - I use granulated sugar. It preserves the golden color of the barfi. Brown or raw sugar darkens the color of burfi.
- Green Cardamom Powder- You want the taste of besan to stand out. So don't go overboard with flavorings. A few strands of saffron can be added too.
- Nuts - Are optional. However they do add crunch, a nice look along with taste to the barfi. Use thinly sliced pistachios, almonds or chopped cashew nuts.
My Tried & Tested Tips
- Don't rush the roasting. If there is one step that deserves your attention, it is roasting the besan. It takes a good 20-25 minutes of slow roasting and constant stirring to get that perfect golden color and nutty aroma. Trust me, it is worth every minute! No amount of sugar or ghee can fix the raw taste of undercooked besan.
- I prefer an iron kadai or a heavy cast iron pot. The wide surface gives you plenty of room to stir, while the heavy bottom maintains steady heat. Since you'll be stirring for a good 25 minutes, you might as well make the job easier!
- Add a little yellow food color. For a brighter yellow barfi, add a small amount of powdered food color. Some people use turmeric, but I prefer food color. It is completely optional and doesn't affect the taste.
- Don't skimp on ghee. I know the amount seems generous, but besan needs it! Using less than the recipe calls for can leave your barfi dry and crumbly.
- Watch the mixture after adding the sugar syrup. The besan will start thickening immediately. Stir and cook just until the mixture comes together and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Overcooking can make the barfi hard once it cools.
- Have your tray ready. Grease your setting tray with a little ghee before you start. Once the mixture reaches the right consistency, transfer it straight away rather than letting it sit in the hot pan.
- Don't press the mixture too firmly. Spread the warm mixture evenly and gently smooth the surface with a greased spatula. I prefer keeping my barfi a little thick rather than spreading it too thin.
- Cut the barfi while slightly warm. Once it has set enough to hold its shape, score it into squares with a greased knife. This gives you cleaner cuts without crumbling the edges.
- Let the barfi set naturally. I prefer letting it cool at room temperature rather than rushing it into the refrigerator. Allow it to firm up completely before lifting the pieces out of the tray
- What if your barfi doesn't set? If it remains soft and sticky even after cooling completely, the mixture may not have been cooked long enough after adding the sugar syrup, or the syrup may have contained too much water.
How To Make
Slow Roast the Besan Mixture
Combine sifted besan and ghee in a heavy bottom pan and set on stove on low medium flame. At first you will see that the mixture will be quite thick. Keep stirring and scraping sides of the pan. Slowly as the besan roasts, it will start getting light and fluffy. Some pointers to notice while the besan is roasted:-
- You will smell a wonderfully intense nutty aroma.
- The stirring process become smoother. Raw besan forms a thick mixture with ghee and requires elbow grease to stir. However, the mixture gets lighter & fluffier as it roasts.
- Color of besan will change from pale yellow to light yellow to pinkish golden yellow.
Take the pan off the stove and let the roasted besan cool. Meanwhile make the sugar syrup.Continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes or so after you take the pan off the stove else the besan will burn because of residual heat.
Prepare the Sugar Syrup
In a heavy pot, combine the sugar and water. Set on stove on medium heat. It takes about 1-2 minutes for sugar to dissolve. Don't stir, In 2 to 2.5 minutes or so you will see slow bubbling that will become rigrous in 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add cardamom powder and continue to simmer the sugar for another 2 minutes (total 6-8 minutes start to finish). It should be pourable and not too thick. At this stage we have 1 string consistency. Follow the times mentioned for accuracy.
To check the stickiness of sugar, dip you hands in cold water.Take a tiny drop between index finger and press it with your thumb. It should feel sticky like honey(not watery) and there should be a visible string.
Set The Barfi
Mix the hot sugar syrup in 2 parts with roasted besan. Pour the barfi base in a greased tray or a parchment paper lined tray. Sprinkle pistachios & almonds and press down. Let set for 1 hour. Then score the warm barfi with greased knife. Leave to fully set for 4-6 hours. Slice into squares using a sharp knife.
Storing
Besan burfi has a shelf life of 2-2.5 weeks. Store in in an air- tight container at room temperature during winter season. During warm months, it is better to store refrigerated.
Recipe
Homemade Besan Barfi (Golden, Nutty & Soft)
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Equipment
- Heavy Pan ( Kadai, Cast iron Pot or similar)
- Sauce Pan
- 8 by 8 inch tray
Ingredients
- 210 g besan (super fine) sifted
- 125 g ghee
- 125 g granulated sugar
- 75 ml water
- 4 green cardamom pods (½ teaspoon cardamom powder)
- 2 tablespoon pistachios & almonds silvered
Instructions
- Line a 8 by 8 tray with parchment paper. Or select a smaller tray if you want thick burfi slices.
- Place a wide heavy bottom pan or kadai over medium heat. Add ghee to start with and let melt.
- Next, add the sifted besan. Mix and on low heat start roasting it while stirring continuously. At first the besan mixture will be quite thick and lumpy needing quite a bit of effort to stir. However after about 12-14 minutes, the mixture will start getting smoother and easier to stir.
- Keep stirring else the besan will burn. This step needs a lot of patience. Slowly ,the mixture will change color from pale yellow to light yellow to a nice pinkish golden yellow. Don't let it become too dark or brown. It takes about 25-30 minutes for the besan to become roasted.
- Take the pan off the stove and continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes. This is because the pan as well as besan is still quite hit and it will burn at bottom if left alone. Let the mixture stand while you make the sugar syrup.Note- If you wish, mix a bit of yellow food color (powdered) with the besan for a bright yellow color burfi.
- Combine water and sugar in a small pot and set on stove to boil over medium heat. Once bubbling, swirl the pot 1-2 times by (carefully) lifting up and swirling the pot holding it from the handle. Don't stir because sometimes the mixture starts to crystallize. Make sure that the sugar has completely dissolved.
- On low heat, continue to simmer the syrup for 6-8 minutes to a 1 string consistency. Carefully, take a little syrup between your thumb and index finger, gently press them together a few times and then slowly pull them apart. The syrup should feel sticky and form a single thin string between your fingers. This is the one-string consistency we are looking for.You can also check it with a digital thermometer, which takes out some of the guesswork. After about 5 minutes of simmering, dip the thermometer into the syrup, making sure the tip doesn't touch the bottom of the pan. For a one-string sugar syrup, you're looking for a temperature of around 220°F (104°C).
- Mix in the cardamom to the syrup. Start adding the hot syrup to warm besan. Add in 3 parts. Add the syrup and mix well using a silicone spatula before adding again. You will immediately notice that the besan & ghee mixture swells up and feels light and fluffy as you incorporate syrup. Mix syrup slowing avoiding too much beating or whisking.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the parchment lined tray. I use both silicone spatula and flat spatula to smothen the top. Press down nuts as well. Avoid pressing the mixture too hard else the ghee will start squeezing out. Also the texture of barfi will be hard.
- Leave the mixture on the kitchen counter to set for 2 hours. If its too hot outside, place in the refrigerator to set for 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 pieces. Store the barfi pieces in an air tight container for 2 weeks. You can refrigerate as well.
Shalu says
Looks really good. I want to give it a try. Is there a way you can post the quantity of besan, ghee, sugar and water in 'cup' measurements. It would be much easier for some people. Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe.
Angie says
Tastes good. House smelled wonderful for an entire day after cooking this barfi. I wanted thicker pieces, so I made 1.5 times listed measurement and used 8 x 8 pan to set the mithai.
Tanvi Srivastava says
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed the burfi recipe.