Besan Ki Barfi | Besan Barfi Recipe

Barfi is another super popular mithai (sweet) in India. With different flavors, it can be categorized under the family of fudge. Just like this Besan Ki Barfi, which is basically a sweet fudge made with besan (gram flour), sugar and ghee. Flavored with some more ingredients, Besan Barfi Recipe is easy to make, if it is well followed. It is one of those traditional sweets that is loved by everyone, including kids. So, next time, when you’re thinking of besan ladoo, think about this barfi too and make it for your family and friends.

More on Besan Ki Barfi

The word ‘barfi’ has its origin in the Hindi word ‘barf’ that means ‘snow.’ Hence, when you look at the most original and fancy-free recipe of barfi, it does give a snow-like appearance. However, this is a sweet too and has flavors in it, whereas snow is literally tasteless!

Although, a classic recipe of barfi will have the base ingredients as milk/khoya, sugar and ghee, there are many variations to it just like there are in various other Indian sweets. For instance, take this Besan Barfi Recipe itself, which has gram flour as the main ingredient. So, it does not contain milk, nor khoya.

However, if you want a one, close to the traditional recipe, this quick Khoya Barfi will be at your service. After the mixture in a barfi recipe is cooked well, it is usually set and then cut into various shapes. I like cutting it in rectangles. Hence, I usually serve this Besan Ki Barfi also in a similar way at home.

Since I keep these barfi made of besan simple and rustic, I usually just serve them immediately after cutting them into rectangular shapes. However, if you want to give it a festive look and make it look more presentable, you can also decorate it with some silver foil (varq) or edible silver leaf, if you have handy at home.

In addition to besan, there’s a plethora of barfi variants that you will come across in India. Everything ranging from nuts, dry fruits, saffron and coconut to the most contemporary ones flavored with rose, chocolate, mango and more. It is fun to indulge in these fancy barfis too, once a while.

More On My Recipe

The method for making this Besan Ki Barfi is quite straightforward. If you follow the steps correctly and diligently, then you can get ready to treat yourself to a really decadent sweet, the taste of which, will linger on your palate, for a very long time. Its very easy to get addicted to this barfi, trust me!

Here, my Besan Barfi Recipe is an authentic version of making it. While it is simple, but to prepare this barfi, it definitely requires continuous hand work and attention. The moment you take your eyes off it, you’ll increase your chances of getting closer to a disastrous end result.

But making Besan Ki Barfi is still easier than making Mysore Pak, which is a lot trickier. It is also not as rich as the pak. The taste can be compared to the taste of Besan Ladoo, for sure. So, if you like the laddu made of besan, you’re definitely going to like the barfi too.

This Besan Barfi Recipe will give you a medium box of barfis. It stores well at room temperature, easily for about a week.

How to make Besan Ki Barfi

Preparation

1. Measure and set aside all the ingredients required to make the besan barfi:

• 2 cups gram flour (besan)
• ½ cup desi ghee
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 chopped almonds
• 5 chopped cashews
• 1 tablespoon melon seeds (magaz)

2. Grease a pan or tray very well with some ghee. You can also line a pan or tray with some butter paper or aluminium foil and then spread some ghee on the butter paper or foil.

Fry Besan

3. Take ½ cup desi ghee in a heavy kadai and let it melt. Keep the heat to a low.

4. Once the ghee has melted, add 2 cups besan in parts. Use a heavy kadai, so that the besan roasts evenly. Also, do not use a nonstick pan as there is a lot of stirring involved.

5. When the first portion of besan is added, mix it with the ghee.

6. Then, add the second part of besan.

7. Mix it again with the ghee.

8. Mix very well and continue to stir the besan non-stop on low heat.

9. Initially, the ghee will be absorbed by the besan and you will see the mixture getting thicker.

10. Continue to stir and fry the besan in ghee.

11. The besan mixture will become like one whole lump of mass or you may see it getting thicker and granular. Continue to fry, stirring very well. Scrape the mixture from the bottom when you stir.

12. After some minutes of stirring, you will see that the besan mixture starts to become molten and ghee will be released from the sides.

13. Continue to stir and fry besan till it starts having a nice nutty aroma and the color changes to a golden.

Stir non-stop even after the ghee is released, the besan gets roasted well and changes to a slight dark golden colour. The roasted besan aroma will be felt.

14. The mixture will become even more molten as you continue to fry. Do not stop while stirring or else the besan will have uneven color.

15. Stirring non-stop, you will come to a stage where the besan will have a nice golden color and will have a good aroma.

It is important to fry the besan very well or else you will get the raw taste of besan in the barfi.

16. Once the besan has roasted well, remove the pan from heat.

17. Add 1 teaspoon cardamom powder.

18. Mix well.

Prepare Sugar Syrup

19. In another pan or saucepan, take 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water. Keep the pan on stovetop on low-medium to medium heat.

20. With a spoon, stir well, so that all the sugar dissolves.

21. Continue to cook the sugar syrup on low-medium to medium heat.

22. The sugar syrup will start boiling and reducing. Keep a plate handy and test a few drops of the sugar syrup till you get a 2-thread consistency.

After adding the few drops of sugar syrup on the plate, let it cool for some seconds and then check as the syrup is very hot and can burn your fingers.

23. You need to get a 2-thread consistency in the syrup. Even a 1 & ½-string consistency is fine.

Make Besan Ki Barfi

24. Once the sugar syrup reaches a 2-thread consistency, quickly pour it in the besan mixture.

25. Mix everything, quickly and vigorously. You have to be quick and fast as the mixture begins to harden.

26. Mix fast and you will see the mixture thickening.

27. The mixture will also reduce.

28. The mixture will also leave the sides of the kadai.

Set Besan Ki Barfi

29. When mixed well, quickly pour the mixture in the prepared tray.

30. Shake the tray.

31. With a spatula, even the barfi mixture layer.

32. Sprinkle chopped almonds, cashews and melon seeds on top.

33. Press the nuts with the spatula, so that they stick to the mixture.

34. Let it set till it becomes warm.

35. When still warm, slice the mixture into rectangles, cubes or squares.

36. Serve Besan Ki Barfi as a sweet after any Indian meal or store in an air-tight container. No need to refrigerate. This barfi stays well at room temperature for about a week.

Expert Tips

1. You have to prepare the tray or pan that you’re going to use to set the barfi. Grease it directly with ghee or line it with some butter paper or aluminium foil and then spread the ghee on it.
2. It is best to use a heavy kadai or pan to cook and evenly roast the gram flour (besan) for this Besan Barfi Recipe. Avoid using non-stick pan, as there’s going to be a lot of stirring involved.
3. It is very crucial to roast the besan well, or else you will end up getting a raw taste of besan in the barfi.
4. The sugar syrup has to be cooked till it achieves a 2-thread consistency. A 1 or ½-string consistency is also good enough.
5. If you don’t have the melon seeds (magaz), skip adding it.  
6. You can store the besan burfi in air-tight containers at room temperature for about a week. It doesn’t need refrigeration.

This Besan Ki Barfi recipe from the archives was first published in May 2017. It has been updated and republished in April 2024.