Follow the step by step photos for Perfect Besan Barfi that is soft, creamy and easy to make every time.
What is Besan Barfi?
Besan Burfee, besan ki burfi, is a delicious barfi made from a handful of ingredients that are found in Indian homes. It can be described as an Indian gram flour fudge or sweet fudge. This traditional festive delight is very popular in North India and also known as Punjabi Besan Recipe or Punjabi Besan Barfi. There are many other Indian sweets recipes that are also made with besan such as Mysore pak, Besan Ladoo, Gujarati Mohanthal and Gujarati Magas. However, the techniques and ratio of ingredients have a slight difference which gives each a unique flavour and texture. Variations of this recipe include Besan Milk Barfi which also uses milk powder.
Why you should make this recipe:
Perfect for special occasions or Indian festival such as krishna janmashtami (Lord Krishna’s Birthday) Diwali, Holi or Raksha Bandhan. Follows traditional besan burfi recipe Easy besan barfi recipe – the steps are straightforward and easy to follow No complicated ingredients – all basic ingredients are easily available at major supermarkets and certainly online Eggless Indian dessert – classic Indian sweets are eggless as they are made during religious festivals. Naturally gluten-free – gram flour does not contain gluten Great as an edible gift instead of Kaju Katli as Besan Barfi is nut free (if omitting the nut garnish)
Ingredients
Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post Besan Besan flour is a flour made from black chickpeas or kala chana. It is also known as gram flour. Besan is not to be confused with chickpea flour made from garbanzo beans which are white. For the best besan burfi, you need to use fine besan flour. Coarse flour is used to make Magaj and Mohanthal. You can find it easily in South Asian/ Indian grocery stores, but these days major supermarkets will also stock In Indian cuisine you will find savoury dishes made with besan as well as sweets such as kadhi and pakora Ghee I like to use desi ghee or pure butter ghee for all of my barfi recipes. I have found that when I use homemade ghee, I need a little bit less than what the recipe asks for. Sugar To make traditional sweets you will require regular granulated white sugar. If you use coconut or brown sugar, the colour of barfi will change. For vegetarian sweets make sure the sugar you are using is suitable for vegans/vegetarians. Cardamom powder A teaspoon of cardamom powder enhances the flavours of besan ki barfi recipe and aids digestion Yellow food colouring Mithai shop or Halwai style besan burfi has yellow food colour added to it. Either use egg yellow food colouring or a small pinch of turmeric powder. Garnish I like to use slivered nuts such as cashew nuts, almonds and vibrant green chopped pistachio. In India, nuts are called dry fruits. You can also add silver or gold foil known as vark but this is less commonly used on besan barfi. Variations You may add black cardamom powder Add a few drops of Kewra essence Why not add orange essence or extract Vanilla extract also provides wonderful flavour though is not traditional Besan Barfi Recipe Without Ghee (Vegan Besan Burfi) If you wish to make vegan besan barfi, replace dairy ghee with vegan (vegetable) ghee or coconut oil. Coconut oil will impart its own flavour. Besan Barfi without Sugar Syrup If you want to make Besan Barfi without chashni or sugar syrup, follow the recipe for Gujarati Magaj which is made with powdered sugar (find the link in the post above) Besan Barfi with Whipping Cream It is also possible to make this barfi with whipping cream. The cream gives a mawa like taste and creaminess to the barfi.
How to make perfect Besan Burfi
You will need a heavy bottom pan, a good spatula, continuous hand work and lots of patience! Remember that you are making this Indian sweet for a special day, so it is worth taking your time and effort. Besan Barfi made in two steps. The first step is to roast the besan and the second step is to make correct string consistency sugar syrup. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan on a low flame and add the besan flour. Roast the besan in the ghee on a low flame. The mixture will transform every minute but trust the process! Keep the flame low and keep stirring – this is the most important step. First besan and ghee mixture will be quite lumpy and thick. You might think ghee is less, but once the besan roasts, the moisture will evaporate, and ghee will appear on the surface and the besan mixture will become runny and frothy. It will then be easier to mix as it loosens up. Continue to roast on lowest heat until the raw smell of the flour disappears, and you get a nice nutty aroma. This good aroma of the roasting besan mixture will immediately make you hungry! You’ll see that flour changes it’s colour into a nice golden color and it becomes an almost pourable consistency. At this stage, turn off the flame. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to get slightly cool at room temperature. In between, keep stirring the mixture so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan/kadai. Add a teaspoon cardamom powder and the food colouring and stir well. You may think that the food colouring is not having any effect but once we add the sugar syrup, the mixture will look yellow. Sugar Syrup The sugar syrup consistency is also an important part of making Besan Ki Barfi. The consistency of the syrup can make or break the Besan Burfi. The ratio of sugar and water should be 1:0.5 (1 cup sugar: 1/2 cup water) In a pan or kadai mix sugar and water. Cook the syrup on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Once the sugar melts, the sugar syrup thickens quite fast and becomes sticky. Keep the heat on low-medium flame and check the syrup’s thread consistency. We will need single thread or one thread sugar syrup. Check the thread consistency by placing a drop of sugar syrup between your thumb and index finger and slowly pull your fingers apart – we are looking for a 1 string/thread consistency. When you do this step, make sure you turn down the heat totally or else the sugar syrup will continue to thicken. If you cannot make a thread, keep on cooking the syrup. If you see more than one thread, add a splash of water to thin it out and repeat the process. Whilst the two mixtures are still warm, pour the hot sugar syrup into the besan mixture and stir until you achieve smooth paste of besan barfi mixture. Pour out the barfi mixture into a tin that is lined with parchment paper / butter paper. You can also prepare a greased tray or greased plate that is brushed with oil or ghee. Sprinkle pistachios and other nuts on top and press into the mixture. My barfi took between 5-10 minutes to harden to the point where I could cut it neatly into squares. Use a sharp knife and take your time when cutting to get a clean sharp edge.
Tips for best results
To achieve great texture and flavour for Besan Ki Barfi, here are a few tips to follow. Ensure you follow besan barfi measurements closely, a teaspoon is here and there is fine, but a big change is a no-no! Ensure your besan is fresh without any smell, insects or discoloured. Besan colour should be bright creamy yellow before cooking. Use melted ghee for accurate measurements – different ghee, whether different brands or homemade, can all differ slightly and can affect how much ghee you need. Do not fry the besan on high flame, by doing this the besan will burn or become dark in colour and the barfi will have a raw taste of besan Continuously stir the besan mixture for even colour, even roasting and good aroma. Whilst roasting the besan, make sure you scrap the mixture sides of the pan too. To check if the besan has roasted, sprinkle a couple of drops of cold water with your fingers into the mixture. If you hear a gentle sizzle, the besan is roasted properly. After turning off the flame, still keep stirring as the kadai is hot. If you leave it, the besan colour will turn dark brown Do not allow the besan mixture to cool totally, you want to add the hot syrup into warm besan. Don’t add all the chasni at the same time but add bit by bit and assess the consistency of the final mixture. Work fast after mixing the sugar syrup and besan as it thickens fast.
Storage
Keep Besan Barfi stored in an air-tight container and away from strong odours such as curries, meat or sea foods. It is fine to keep at room temperature, Besan Burfi will stay fresh at least 3-4 weeks if stored well in an airtight container.
Serving
Generally, Besan barfee or burfi is made and enjoyed during festive season such as Diwali or Holi, however it can be eaten any time of the year. Enjoy it as a snack to satisfy sweet cravings or after a spicy Indian meal. It looks beautiful as part of a mithai box to give as a gift.
Other Barfi Recipes and Diwali Sweets Recipes
Baklava Barfi Almond Butter Barfi Bars Peanut Chocolate Barfi Pistachio and Chocolate Barfi Millionaire’s shortbread Barfi Malai Dodha Barfi Nutella Barfi Kesar Badam Pista Barfi Sutarfeni (air fryer) Gujarati Shakkarpara Coconut Barfi
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