Besan Barfi Recipe

Time and servings

Prep time	10 min
Cook time	40 min
Total time	50 min
Serves	30 pieces

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About Besan Barfi

It is a popular creamy and rich Indian fudge dessert recipe made with gram flour or chickpea flour and sugar syrup. Besan Barfi is not just a sweet dessert but a symbol of rich Indian cultural and culinary heritage. It is believed to be originated centuries ago in India and has been passed on to generations. The significance of this recipe is huge especially during the festival seasons. It is premium, rich, and more importantly easy to handle and hence easily exchanged with friends and family for any occasion. With the influence of time, it has undergone a lot of experiments and variations to its original recipe. Today it is made with additional ingredients to slightly modify its texture, color, and also taste. One popular experiment is to add mawa or khoya to the besan mixture. Adding mawa helps to smoothen the texture and also makes it more rich and creamy. In addition, besan barfi can also be made with condensed milk or paneer grate which also enriches the barfi.

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Why does this recipe work

The recipe is ultra popular across India and is made for various reasons and occasions. Few major reasons why it is popular –

1. Taste & Flavor – The combination of ghee and besan makes any sweet mouth-watering. Roasted besan flour with ghee and sugar creates a creamy, silky smooth, caramelized rich flavor and taste. This is appreciated by all age groups.
2. Simple & Easy – The recipe is made with a few basic ingredients and hence can be made by any interested cook. Yet practice makes it perfect and perhaps you may master the recipe in 2nd or 3rd attempt.
3. Variations – Traditional recipe is made with just besan flour, ghee, and sugar syrup. However, the besan mixture has the appetite to take other creamy ingredients to make it more creamy and rich. You can add milk, milk powder, mawa, khoya, and condensed milk.
4. Any Occasions – The barfi is a perfect choice for any occasion or celebration. It is easy to prepare and also to handle once it is prepared. This makes it a popular choice for small or big occasions or celebrations.
5. Shelf Life – The sweet has a long shelf life compared to all the other milk-based sweets and desserts. This is mainly due to the way it is cooked and prepared with ghee and sugar syrup. Yet storing in a dry airtight container should significantly improve.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup ghee
• 2 cup besan
• 1 cup mawa
• 1½ cup sugar
• ¾ cup water
• pinch saffron food colour
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

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Instructions

1. Firstly, in a pan heat 1 cup ghee and 2 cup besan.
2. Roast until the besan turns golden brown and aromatic. Keep roasting on low flame for atleast 20 minutes.
3. After 20 minutes, the besan turns golden brown.
4. Add 1 cup mawa and cook well.
5. Cook until the ghee is released from the mixture. Keep aside.
6. In a large kadai take 1½ cup sugar and ¾ cup water.
7. Boil the sugar to get 1 string consistency.
8. Add few kesar food colour for enhanced colour and ½ tsp cardamom powder for flavour.
9. Further, add the prepared besan mawa mixture and mix well.
10. Keeping the flame on low, continuously stir until the mixture turns silky smooth consistency.
11. Transfer the burfi mixture to the tray lined with baking paper.
12. Top with 2 tbsp pistachios and rest for 1 hour.
13. Now cut into pieces and enjoy.
14. Finally, Besan Burfi Recipe is ready to enjoy for a month when refrigerated.

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Step-by-step

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Video

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Tips

The recipe is made with just a few ingredients and hence it is no rocket science to make it. Yet there are many areas where the recipe can go wrong. Hence few tips –

1. Besan Quality – There are different types of besan available and I particularly use fine besan laddu flour. It should yield a silky smooth texture to the barfi and more importantly just melts in the mouth.
2. Roasting – The besan has to be roasted with ghee before it is used in the sweet. Roasting helps to elevate the flavor of besan and also smooth the texture of the final product.
3. Sugar Syrup – Syrup consistency plays a huge role in the recipe of besan barfi. Depending upon the string level of the sugar syrup consistency, the softness varies. Hence one string is ideal for a smooth and soft barfi.
4. Stirring – Well, there is no shortcut with this step. It can be overwhelming but continuously stirring is a must. This ensures the besan mixture not sticking to the pan and is also evenly roasted.
5. Toppings – Typically, no additional toppings are added to besan burfi, but toppings of roughly chopped dry fruits are icing on the cake. Even raisins and tutti frutti can be a perfect choice.

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Notes

• Firstly, make sure to roast the besan on a low flame until it turns golden brown. else the taste of besan will remain raw.
• Also, the consistency of sugar syrup is crucial, if it is overcooked the burfi hardens, and if undercooked then it remains soft.
• Additionally, adding mawa is optional. However, it makes burfi soft and tasty.
• Finally, in the Besan Burfi Recipe you can also add milk in place of mawa to make it super moist.