Besan Barfi Recipe. Besan ki barfi is a gluten free indian sweet (mithai) made with gram flour, ghee, sugar syrup and flavored with green cardamom. With its soft melt in the mouth texture, this irresistible sweet is popular on indian festivals like Diwali, Holi, Krishna Janamashtami or Raksha Bandhan.
I am sharing a north indian/ punjabi style "besan" in my post today. For this easy besan burfi recipe, you need a handful of ingredients and about 40-45 minutes.
Barfi or Burfi is a very popular fudge like sweet popular in the indian subcontinent. It is a must during festive season. Barfi is made with milk solids (khoya) and all sorts of flours, lentils, fruits etc. Fudgy sweet and ghee laden, this mithai is studded with nuts and bursting with fragrant aroma of saffron, rose or cardamom.
The process of setting the barfi and its square shape is comparable to a fudge. However, in most cases, barfi isn't dense or chewy like a fudge, its texture is melt in the mouth and soft.
What is Besan Burfi
Besan ki burfi or Indian Gram Flour Fudge is prepared using besan(gram flour), sugar & ghee as main ingredients. The key component of any mithai made with besan is how well the besan is roasted. The nutty fragrant taste of besan burfi stays with you long after you have eaten it, mind you this sweet is very very addictive.
Indian desserts made with besan top my list of favorites. Growing up, besan ladoo were made year round in our home but besan barfi was more of a winter special. I remember before school, a cup of warm milk and burfi was our breakfast, its super nutritious and soothing served with milk.
What is Besan?
Though besan is many a times referred to as chickpea flour, however chickpea flour is made my grinding white chickpeas (garbanzo beans).
Besan is a high protein, gluten free flour super popular in indian kitchens for making sweets, curries as well as snacks.
Besan manufacturing involves processing black chickpeas (kala chana). Black chickpeas are similar to chickpeas however they differ in size and color. They have a tough outer covering and they are slightly smaller in size. Kala chana is hulled and split to get bengal gram lentils or chana dal. Chana dal is ground to make besan or gram flour. The lentils are ground to get fine or super fine or coarse besan (also known as laddu besan).
Difference between Besan Barfi, Mysore Pak, Magas/ Mohanthal
The introduction of besan burfi brings us to this important question. There is slight difference among all these besan sweets in terms of texture, ingredients and method of preperation.
Both Mohanthal and Magas or Magaj ladoo are a traditional gujarati sweet made using coarse besan and powdered sugar. Many magaj recipes use milk and flavoring spices like nutmeg. Magas has a grainy chewy texture because its made with coarse besan. Mohanthal is prepared in Rajasthan during festivals, weddings and numerous special occasions. Both these sweets are set thick, they are quite fudge and have a truly luxurious taste.
Mysore Pak originated in the south indian city of Mysore. It is made with same ingredients(with a heavy dose of ghee). It has a dense chewy texture.
Besan Barfi is made with fine gram flour. It has a smooth and soft texture. We need to prepare sugar syrup for making besan barfi, however sugar is directly added to the roasted besan when making magas.
Why you will love this barfi recipe
- My simple recipe calls for basic ingredients that are common to most indian kitchens. Also, you dont need a ton of ingredients (Just 5 (including the green cardamom)
- For kids, its a nutritious treat or snack (of course when consumed in moderation). It's my winter favorite during winters when we crave "meetha" after dinner.
- No need to check the string consistency of the syrup. Checking the "taar of chashni", aka the sugar syrup consistency makes indian mithai one of the most intimidating process for many (including myself). This is such a stress free recipe!
- Soft and delicious barfi every time!
- Gluten free
- Perfect for gift boxes
- Has a good shelf life of 2 weeks
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Besan Flour- Gram flour is easily available in most indian grocery stores. For making barfi, we need the super fine besan, the one that you use to make kadhi. I recommend buying a fresh pack of besan when you want to make barfi. Make sure you are not purchasing coarse besan.
- Ghee - Use good quality desi ghee.if its homemade, all the better. Ghee adds the aroma and taste of the barfi.
- Sugar - I use granulated sugar. It preserves the golden color of the barfi. Avoid using brown or raw sugar for thus recipe because it darkens the color.
- Green Cardamom Or use saffron
- Nuts - Are optional. However they do add to the look of the barfi along with taste. Use pistachios, almonds or cashew nuts.
My Tips For Making Perfect Besan Barfi
- Use fresh besan and ghee. I cannot stress this enough. When a recipe calls for a few ingredients, their quality can make or break the taste of barfi.
- Roast the besan patiently. Roasting besan properly to do away the raw taste is the most important step of the recipe. In my experience, it takes 20-25 minutes of constant tending to slow roast the besan to that perfect golden shade. If you rush it, the nuttiness of besan won't come through.
- Make a Sticky Sugar Syrup - We are not looking for any string consistency. However, we want a sticky syrup (similar to warm honey). I am mentioning how long to boil the sugar in the recipe card to help you achieve so.
- Use a heavy bottom and a wide pan or kadai (like iron kadai or cast iron pot) for making burfi. A wide pan helps because you will be able to move around the stirring spoon freely. A heavy bottom pot retains the heat and helps in maintaining constant heat while you roast the besan.
- Add a little bit of yellow food color (preferably powdered food color) for a bright yellow color.
How To Make Soft Besan Barfi at Home (Step By Step)
Slow Roast the Besan Mixture
First step is to roast the besan on low flame. Combine sifted besan and ghee in a heavy bottom pan or kadai and set on stove on low medium flame. At first you will see that the mixture will be quite thick(even after the ghee has melted). Keep stirring and scraping sides of the pan. Slowly as the besan roasts, it will become fluffy. Some pointers to know when the besan is roasted:-
- You will smell a wonderfully intense nutty aroma.
- The stirring process will become smoother. Raw besan forms a thick mixture with ghee and it takes a bit of elbow grease to stir. However, the mixture gets lighter as it roasts.
- Color of besan will change from pale yellow to light yellow to golden yellow.
Take the pan off the stove and let the roasted besan cool. Meanwhile make the sugar syrup.
Pro Tip :- Continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes or so after you take the pan off the stove else the besan will burn because the pan or kadai is super hot right now.
Make the Sugar Syrup
In a heavy sauce pan with spout (or a pourable edge), combine the sugar and water. Set on stove on medium heat. I use granulated sugar. It takes about a minute minutes to dissolve. In 2 to 2.5 minutes or so you will see slow bubbling that will become quick in 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add cardamom and continue to simmer the sugar for another 2 minutes (total 6-7 minutes start to finish).
The sugar syrup should be sticky like warm honey. It should be pourable and not too thick.
Pro Tip :- To check the stickiness of sugar, take a tiny drop between index finger and press it with your thumb. It should feel sticky(not watery).
Set The Barfi
Mix the hot syrup in 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 2-3 hours. Slice into squares using a sharp knife.
Variations
- Rava Besan Barfi - If you wish to make besan rava barfi, add 2 tablespoon of fine semolina while roasting the besan.
- Milk Besan Barfi - Mix in 2 tablespoon of milk powder or fine grated khoya once the besan has roasted.
- Nut free Besan Barfi- Simply skip the nuts. You add some edible gold or silver (chandi warq) on top before cutting into squares.
- Chocolate Besan Barfi - Add 1 cup of melted chocolate after the besan barfi has set. Refrigerate till the chocolate is firm. Slice using a sharp knife. Alternatively, you can do a light drizzle of chocolate on top too.
- Besan Burfi Cheesecake Bites - I shared this idea on my Instagram page for Diwali last year.
Storing Besan Barfi
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. Serve as dessert after meals or as a snack!
FAQ
Here are a few things you can try. Put the mixture back in the pan and warm up slightly. Dont squeeze the mixture else the ghee will start oozing out. Stir for 1-2 minutes then and pour back in the greased plate. Smooth the top with a spatula. Leave to set in the fridge to set. The ghee will get cold and the barfi will hold shape.
This could happen due to overcooked/thick sugar syrup. Once hard, the mixture cannot be rescued. It wont set, however you can consume the mixture as it is, it will still taste good.
You need ghee to set the barfi. Barfi will not set if you use oil. One of the closet substitute that I can think of is coconut oil, however I have never tried it so I cannot say about the texture of barfi. But for sure, the barfi will have a strong oily coconut taste.
The moisture content of jaggery and sugar is different in addition to the taste. I have never tried it so I cannot for sure say that the same measurements will work. Also, with jaggery the color of the burfi will be dark brown.
Recipe
Besan Ki Barfi
Equipment
- Heavy Pan ( Kadai, Cast iron Pot or similar)
- Sauce Pan
- 8 by 8 inch tray
Ingredients
- 210 g besan (super fine) sifted
- 110 g ghee
- 150 g sugar I use 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.
- Set a wide heavy bottom pan or kadai over medium heat. Add ghee and let melt.
- Next, add the sifted besan and roast and on low heat start roasting it 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 golden yellow. Dont 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 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 sauce pan and set on stove to boil over medium heat. Once bubbling, swirl the sauce 1-2 times by (carefully) lifting up and swirling the pan holding it from the handle. Dont stir because sometimes the mixture starts to crystallize. Make sure that the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Once the syrup comes to a boil, mix in the ground cardamom. Lower the heat and continue to simmer the syrup for 5-7 minutes(to thicken slightly). You dont need to check the consistency. Carefully, take a tiny drop between your index finger and thumb and press open and close a few times to make sure that the syrup is sticky (like warm honey). Note- The syrup should neither be watery( else barfi wont set) nor be too thick (else barfi will become hard).
- 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.
Notes
- Use fresh besan and ghee. I cannot stress this enough. When a recipe calls for a few ingredients, the quality can make or break the taste of barfi.
- Roast the besan patiently. Roasting besan properly to do away the raw taste is the most important step of the recipe. In my experience, it takes 20-25 minutes of content tending to slow roast the besan to that perfect golden shade. If you rush it, the nuttiness of besan won't come through.
- Make a Sticky Sugar Syrup - We are not looking for any string consistency. However, we want a sticky syrup (similar to honey). I am mentioning how long to boil the sugar in the recipe card to help you so.
- Use a heavy bottom and a wide pan or kadai (like iron kadai or cast iron pot) for making burfi. A wide pan helps because you will be able to move around the stirring spoon freely. A heavy bottom pot retains the heat and helps in maintaining constant heat while you roast the besan.
- Add a little bit of turmeric powder (⅛ teaspoon) while roasting for a bright yellow color.
- Rava Besan Barfi - If you wish to make besan rava barfi, add 2 tablespoon of fine semolina while roasting the besan.
- Milk Besan Barfi - Mix in 2 tablespoon of milk powder or fine grated khoya once the besan has roasted.
- Nut free Besan Barfi- Simply skip the nuts. You add some edible gold or silver (chandi warq) on top before cutting into squares.
- Chocolate Besan Barfi - Add 1 cup of melted chocolate after the besan barfi has set. Refrigerate till the chocolate is firm. Slice using a sharp knife. Alternatively, you can do a light drizzle of chocolate on top too.
- Besan Burfi Cheesecake Bites - I shared this idea on my Instagram page on diwali last year.
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