Besan ka Halwa
Besan ka halwa is a rich, indulgent Indian sweet made with gram flour, ghee, sugar and cardamom powder. Plenty of stirrings are needed to make this sweet dish, but the end result is worth the effort. Try making my family recipe of this delicious Sweet for Diwali or any festive occasion and impress your guests.
About Besan Halwa
Besan is the Hindi word for gram flour which is finely ground hulled black chickpeas. Halwa means a sweet dish made with cereals, lentils, nuts or dry fruits. Besan Halwa means a sweet dish made from besan a.k.a gram flour.
My family loves sweets made with besan be it this halwa or Besan ladoo or Besan Barfi. I make this halwa occasionally but more so during festivals. You can make it during any Indian festival or religious occasion. You can also offer this sweet to the deities.
When you prepare any sweet with besan, the kitchen smells amazing with the nutty, sweet aroma of besan being roasted in ghee. The aroma gives hunger pangs, and one wants to savor the halwa or ladoo as soon as they are made.
Both ghee and dry fruits give a rich flavor to this sweet. In this method of besan halwa, which is a family recipe, gram flour is roasted with ghee first and later hot milk is added. It is important to roast the besan very well, otherwise it will give a raw taste to the halwa.
This roasting of besan very well is a crucial and important step. If you don’t roast the besan perfectly then you simply can’t correct this dish later.
Overall Besan ka halwa is a quick recipe but a lot of stirring is required, so too much of hand work. But every bit of effort is worth making this sweet.
Some of the popular Indian halwa recipes are Gajar Halwa, Moong Dal halwa, Suji Halwa and Atte ka Halwa. My personal favorite is gajar halwa and besan halwa. Which one is yours?
How to make Besan ka Halwa
Before you start with the recipe, measure and set aside all the ingredients you will need. Besan or gram flour is the key ingredient. So make sure it is fresh and does not smell rancid or stale.
Chop or sliver the nuts like almonds, cashews and set aside as you won’t be getting any time when you start stirring the halwa mixture. If left unattended even for some minutes, the halwa will get browned and may possibly also burn from the bottom.
Cook Milk and Roast Besan
1. Firstly heat 1.5 cups of whole milk in a thick bottomed pan till it comes to a boil. Stir a few times when the milk is getting heated.
2. At the same time, when you keep the milk for boiling, on another stovetop keep a thick bottomed pan. Add ¼ cup of ghee to it.
3. Once ghee melts, then lower the heat. Add 1 cup of gram flour (besan) and mix it very well with the ghee.
4. On a low heat. Keep stirring the besan so that it is evenly roasted.
5. Mix and stir well for 14 to 15 minutes on low heat, till the besan leaves a nutty aroma. Since I have used a thick bottomed pan and the heat is on low, it has taken me 14 to 15 minutes to roast.
In a steel pan or kadai depending on the thickness of the base and the intensity of the heat, it will take lesser time.
6. When the gram flour gets roasted well, it will start releasing ghee and become nicely aromatic. The color of the besan will also change.
Add Milk To Roasted Besan
7. By now the milk must have also got boiled. In case the milk gets boiled earlier, before the besan gets roasted, then switch off the heat and cover the milk pan. The milk has to be hot and poured in two batches.
Keep the heat to a low and first pour 1 cup of hot milk gradually into the roasted gram flour. While you are pouring the milk, simultaneously keep on stirring also with a wired whisk or spoon. Mix the milk very well with the roasted gram flour.
8. Keep continuously stirring the mixture.
9. Now pour the rest of the hot milk.
10. Continue stirring the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes with a wired whisk or spoon. A wired whisk is better as it gets rid of lumps while stirring.
Cook Besan Halwa
11. Add ⅓ cup of sugar. You can add more sugar if you want. It all depends upon your taste preferences.
12. Keep stirring continuously for 5 to 6 minutes on low heat. Stir well so that no lumps are formed.
Break any lumps with the spatula or spoon while stirring. Stir often or else this mixture can get browned from the bottom.
13. Soon the mixture will start thickening. You have to continuously keep stirring the mixture, then only halwa will be smooth and there won’t be any lumps.
14. Add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder, 4 to 5 pistachios (slivered or chopped) and 4 to 5 almonds (slivered or chopped).
15. Stir and mix well.
16. You will see some ghee separating from the halwa at the sides. The halwa will also start leaving the edges of the pan and will appear smooth and glossy as shown in the below photo.
17. Switch off the heat. The besan halwa will become thick as it cools down.
18. Serve besan ka halwa hot or warm or chilled. If you want you can garnish halwa with chopped nuts and saffron strands.
Refrigerate any leftovers. While serving warm the halwa in a pan so that the ghee melts as on refrigeration it solidifies. This halwa keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
For besan ka halwa
- ¼ cup Ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 cup besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
- 1.5 cups milk
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 4 to 5 pistachios ,slivered or chopped
- 4 to 5 almonds , slivered or chopped
For garnish
- few strands of saffron – optional
Instructions
- Firstly heat 1.5 cups of milk in a thick bottomed pan till it comes to a boil.
- At the same time, when you keep the milk for boiling, on another stove top keep a thick bottomed pan. Add ¼ cup of ghee in it.
- Once the ghee melts, then lower the heat.
- Add 1 cup of gram flour (besan) and mix very well with the ghee.
- Keep on stirring continuously so that the besan is evenly roasted.
- Mix and stir well for 14 to 15 minutes on low heat, till the besan leaves a nutty aroma.
- Soon the gram four will start releasing ghee.
- By now the milk must have also got boiled. In case the milk gets boiled earlier, before the besan gets roasted, then switch off the flame and cover the milk pan.
- The milk has to be poured in two batches. Keep the heat to a low and first pour 1 cup of hot milk gradually into the roasted gram flour. While you are pouring the milk, simultaneously keep on stirring also. Mix the milk very well with the roasted gram flour.
- Then pour the remaining ½ cup milk.
- Continue to mix and stir the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add ⅓ cup of sugar. The amount of sugar can be adjusted as per your taste preferences.
- Stir well so that no lumps are formed. Keep continuously stirring for 5 to 6 mins on a low flame.
- Soon the mixture will start thickening. You have to continuously keep stirring the mixture, then only halwa will be smooth and without lumps.
- Add cardamom powder, pistachios (slivered or chopped) and almonds (slivered or chopped).
- Continue to stir and mix well.
- You will see some ghee separating from the halwa at the sides. The halwa will also start leaving the edges of the pan and will appear smooth and glossy.
- Switch off the heat. The besan halwa will become thick as it cools down.
- Serve besan halwa hot or warm or chilled. If you want you can garnish halwa with chopped nuts and saffron strands.
- Refrigerate any leftovers. While serving warm the halwa in a pan so that the ghee melts as on refrigeration it solidifies. This halwa keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
- Adding dry fruits is optional.
- Roast the besan on a low heat continuously. Keep stirring the mixture continuously. The gram flour has to be roasted evenly for a evenly cooked smooth halwa.
- Also its important to roast the besan very well, otherwise it will give a raw taste to the halwa.
- You can store the besan halwa in the fridge and it will last for about a week.
Nutrition
This Besan ka Halwa post from the archives (September 2016) has been updated and republished on 23 October 2021.
Hello, I used your recipe but mine came out in a thick paste. How can I fix it?
It may be still undercooked. You will have to cook for some more time, until the ghee separates. I hope this helps.
I used oat milk and it turned our great!
Awesome recipe ! Made vegan version with cashew milk and vegan butter. Thank you ! ?
Hello may I ask if you used the dry measuring cup or the liquid measuring cup when you measured 1.5 cups of milk? Thanks.
Both these cups measure the same volume for liquids. So you can use either. I have used dry measuring cup.
Thank you.
Hi, loved the recipe. It tastes a lot like moong dal halwa bt so much easier. For how long will it be good in refrigerator? N freezer? Thanks!
thanks khushbu. yes it does. it can keep well for about a week in the refrigerator. in the freezer can keep good for about a month.
thank you for posting
REGARDS
What to do if we have lumps even after stiring for long time and ghee doesnt ooze out?thanks!
try adding some more milk and a bit of ghee. use a wired whisk for stirring as it dissolves the lumps. hope this helps.
I tried some recipes and result was fabulous ???? the pics made more easier to cook tasty food and thanks to veg recipesof India.
welcome poonam. glad to know that you like the recipes and their pictorial presentation.
Hi dassana….just now I tried this… While riastingvin low flame I got bit burnt smell so I poured milk….texture resembles yours…I m eating first time besan halwa….I feel slightly raw taste….but while roasting I felt like burning smell after 12 min….u used ceramic pan…did I do any wrong…v have to stop na once v get burning smell while roasting….once ur done with ur drafts pl include zunka recipe
shubha, besan only get burnt if the pan is not heavy or has a thin base. rawness is because the besan has not got roasted well. whenever roasting besan for any dish, always use a heavy kadai or pan. the roasting has to stop once the besan becomes aromatic and will release ghee. till the time ghee is not released, the besan is uncooked. it can be partially cooked but some rawness will be there. also besan has to be stirred continuously, so that it does not get burnt.
i will try to add zunkha recipe.
Thank you dassana,……i had used ceramic pan….next time i will buy thick kadai….I m having issues in roasting… Today I did oats upma….again went wrong in roasting…for me baking is easy wen followed ur recipes….just measuring following your steps that’s it….roasting judging seems to b difficult..than u for your advice….ya. I also got butter link….I don’t remember whether I have requested or not…pl add oats granola recipe ….
Welcome Shubha. I will try to add oats granola recipe. always use a thick and heavy iron pan. they are very good for roasting. you can even buy a 3 ply or 5 ply steel pans. they are heavy and good for roasting and cooking.
Thank you dassana for the information… I did not knew about 3&5 ply…will get….
welcome shubhs
i tried it yesterday i made .it very easily with your recipes . i like this recipe app very much
welcome smita. glad to know that you liked the recipes and the app.
I made the halwa with water. I did everything but the color is pale yellow. However I cooked well amd taste is gud but still the color of the halwa did not appear to be as shown in the image.
disha, color will depend on the quality and color of the besan. milk gives richness and also enhances the color. i feel with water the color will be pale. a pinch of turmeric or some strands of saffron would have improved the color. when preparing any halwa with water for color, some saffron strands soaked in a bit of warm water can be added to the halwa to get a nice color.
I tried this today . Very easy and tasty! Nice one..
thanks pooja.
Dear dassana, i really love ur site and recipes. I am making lots of indian food nowadays…if possible can u pls recommend me some food and recipes that settle the stomach, both of my 2 and 4 yrs old toddlers are suffering from food poisoning ..
for food poisoning, its best to consult the pediatrician or doctor. but some herbs and spices do help. you can include turmeric (use organic ones or powder turmeric roots in a grinding mill nearby), cumin seeds, ajwain, mint leaves, coriander leaves and hing. all these spices & herbs are good for the stomach. i am not sure about the food poisoning part, but they are good for digestion. also you can include sabja seeds which is good for acidity.
Besan halwa is my favourite! Adding milk never occurred to me. I make your besan laddos often. And they are the best!! One bite of your laddo and it is pure bliss. so are your kaju ki barfi and gulab jamuns esp. I keep looking for excuses to make them 🙂
very pleased to know this ritu 🙂 glad you liked the kaju barfi and gulab jamuns. thanks for positive feedback and kind words.
Hey my comments are finally reaching you! 🙂 God knows how many long comments I had left on your blog and they never showed 🙁 Made anjeeri matar yesterday. It was delicious 🙂 Thanks for this terrific recipe Dassana. How did you ever come up with such a terrific combination of anjeer and curd! It was a new dish to me and now it is one of my favourites.
ritu, all your comments including some more readers’ comments had gone into the spam folder. i have no idea why this is happening. yesterday one reader wrote to me and then i checked the comments in the spam folder. thanks for the feedback on the anjeeri matar recipe. nice to know.