Mohanthal is a rich traditional Gujarati sweet made with besan (gram flour) roasted slowly in ghee and set with sugar syrup, then cut into squares. It has a soft, grainy, fudge-like texture, with a nutty flavor from the roasted besan and the fragrance of cardamom and nutmeg. Also written as Mohan Thal, it is made for Diwali, Janmashtami and weddings, and is offered as bhog in Krishna temples. Traditional recipes add khoya (mawa), but this version is made without khoya, using only gram flour, ghee, milk and sugar.

Mohanthal topped with nuts and edible silver leaf.

Foolproof Mohanthal Recipe!

Mohanthal is a sweet where the method decides the texture. The grainy, crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth bite comes from a step called dhrabo in Gujarati, where the gram flour is rubbed with warm ghee and milk, rested and then sieved before it is roasted. Skip this and you get a smooth gram flour fudge, not mohanthal.

What the name means: Mohan is one of the names of Bhagwan Krishna, and this sweet is a well-known bhog in Krishna temples of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Thal (or thaal) refers to the tray or plate in which the sweet is set before cutting.

Most traditional mohanthal recipes add Khoya for richness. I make it without khoya, so you don’t need to buy or make it. Instead, I add a little milk after roasting the gram flour. This keeps the sweet soft and lightly moist.

The saffron in the sugar syrup adds a bit of color and fragrance, so there is no need for food color. However, the golden brown color and nutty aroma of the roasted besan overpower both, so you can skip the saffron.

My mohanthal sets from a thick but pourable mixture, so it spreads evenly in the tray on its own. Once set, it cuts into neat squares that are soft and grainy inside. This recipe turns out really good, with the roasted nutty flavor of the gram flour and a light hint of cardamom and nutmeg coming through in every bite.

Do read the recipe once before you begin. Use a heavy-bottomed kadai or frying pan, and once the besan goes into the ghee, stir non-stop. From adding the milk to pouring the mixture into the tray, the steps move quickly, so keep everything measured and ready.

I hope you enjoy making this popular Gujarati sweet at home.

Ingredients You Need

Besan, ghee, sugar and milk, the main ingredients for mohanthal. — *Main ingredients: besan, ghee, sugar and milk.*

Besan: Besan is gram flour made from split and hulled black chickpeas (chana dal). In the US, look for it at Indian grocery stores as besan or gram flour. Chickpea flour made from white garbanzo beans cannot be used. I used semi-fine besan and the mohanthal had a nice grainy texture. Coarse besan, sold as mota besan or ladoo besan, gives an even more granular texture.
Ghee: Mohanthal needs a generous amount of ghee (clarified butter), both for the dhrabo and for roasting the besan. Use homemade or good-quality store-bought ghee.
Milk: Whole milk is used twice. Warm milk goes into the dhrabo with the ghee, and room temperature milk is added after roasting. In this recipe, milk takes the place of khoya and keeps the mohanthal a bit soft.
Sugar: The sugar is cooked with water to a one-string syrup. I used organic sugar, but white sugar works too. The syrup is what sets the mohanthal, so avoid reducing the sugar too much. For a less sweet mohanthal, use 1 cup sugar.
Saffron: About 20 strands, lightly crushed and added to the syrup. It gives the mohanthal a light aroma and is optional.
Cardamom and nutmeg: These are the classic flavorings in a traditional Gujarati mohanthal recipe. Freshly grated nutmeg has more aroma than store-bought powder, but both work.
Nuts: Chopped pistachios and almonds are pressed on top before the mohanthal sets.

More Popular Indian Sweets To Make

How To Make Mohanthal (Stepwise)

Preparation

1. Grease a 6-inch square tray or a deep thali with a little ghee. You can also line it with parchment paper and then brush some ghee on the paper. A 7-inch square pan also works, but the pieces will be thinner.

Keep a coarse sieve or chalni, a heavy kadai, a second pan for the sugar syrup and a spatula ready. Also measure out the finishing milk, cardamom powder and nutmeg and keep them within reach. Steps 18 to 27 move quickly.

Note: For roasting the besan, use a thick-bottomed heavy kadai or frying pan. In a thin pan, the besan sticks to the bottom and burns easily.

Empty square baking pan lined with parchment.

Make The Dhrabo

2. First take 2 cups besan (220 grams) in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Next, in a small pan, take ¼ cup ghee (55 grams) and ¼ cup milk.

Keep the pan on low heat and heat only until the ghee melts. The mixture should be warm, not hot.

3. Pour the warm ghee and milk mixture over the besan.

4. Mix with a spoon so that the ghee and milk spread through the besan.

Bowl of mixed gram flour, ghee and milk.

5. Now rub the mixture between your fingertips and palms using both hands. Do this several times until the mixture looks grainy and sand-like. In the photo, you can see only one of my hands, as I was also taking the picture.

When you press a fistful of the mixture, it should hold its shape.

Note: Fine besan forms lumps easily. Keep rubbing and the sieving will take care of the rest.

Rest & Sieve

6. This is how the mixture looks after rubbing thoroughly. Cover the bowl and leave it for 20 to 30 minutes. This allows the besan to absorb the moisture evenly.

Bowl of yellow, crumbly dhrabo or besan mixture to make mohanthal.

7. Transfer the mixture to a coarse sieve and keep a large plate or tray below the sieve. Sift the mixture by shaking the sieve over the plate.

Yellow besan mixture or dhrabo in a sieve.

8. You will get even, crumbly granules that look like rava (semolina). This coarse, grainy besan is what gives mohanthal its typical texture.

Fine yellow sifted coarse gram flour mixture on a white plate.

9. If large lumps are left in the sieve, transfer them to a mixer-grinder jar and pulse until they look like breadcrumbs. Then add them back to the sieve and sift again.

Note: Make sure no big lumps remain, because they can stay raw in the middle when the besan is roasted.

Tip: If you don’t have a coarse sieve, grind the whole mixture in the mixer-grinder in short bursts until it looks like breadcrumbs or rava. Do not run the mixer continuously.

Roast The Dhrabo

10. Heat ½ cup ghee (110 grams) in a thick-bottomed heavy kadai or frying pan on low or medium-low heat.

11. Once the ghee melts, add the sieved dhrabo (the granular besan mixture).

Sieved dhrabo added to melted ghee in kadai.

12. Mix the dhrabo well with the ghee. From here, stir non-stop on low to medium-low heat. Roasting takes 20 to 25 minutes.

Do not stop stirring at any point while roasting. If you stop, the besan sticks to the bottom of the kadai and the mixture can burn.

The time depends on the thickness of the pan, size of the pan and the heat intensity.

As you roast, you will see these stages:

13. At about 0 to 5 minutes: The mixture is thick.

14. At about 7 to 9 minutes: The mixture loosens and becomes liquid.

15. At about 11 to 15 minutes: It splutters, turns frothy and bubbles a lot, and feels light while stirring. This is mainly the moisture from the milk in the dhrabo evaporating. Keep stirring.

16. At about 16 to 25 minutes: The besan turns golden brown with a strong nutty aroma, and the ghee starts to separate. The mixture looks thin and molten, but keep roasting and stirring.

17. Stop roasting when the besan has a nice deep golden color and a lovely roasted, nutty aroma, the ghee is releasing and the mixture is molten. Do not make the besan too brown or dark.

Stirring non-stop also keeps the color even and cooks the besan evenly, without burnt or dark patches.

Tip: If the mixture looks dry or sticks to the kadai while roasting, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra ghee.

The image below shows the consistency of the roasted besan mixture.

Golden-brown mohanthal mixture cooking in kadai.

Add Milk

18. Turn off the heat. Add ¼ cup room temperature milk.

Milk being poured into the golden, ghee-roasted gram flour mixture in pan.

19. The milk will sizzle and froth up a lot, so step back a little as you pour. Mix very well.

20. Turn the heat back on to low and stir continuously for 1 to 2 minutes, until all the milk is absorbed and the mixture becomes thick and grainy.

Add Spices

21. Turn off the heat. Add 1 teaspoon cardamom powder and ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.

Mix well and keep the kadai aside. Stir a few times so that the mixture cools slightly and the besan at the bottom does not burn or darken from the heat of the kadai.

Sweet mohanthal mixture sprinkled with nutmeg powder and cardamom powder.

Make Sugar Syrup

22. Start the syrup right after adding the spices. Take 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (about 225 grams) in another pan. Add ½ cup water and 20 lightly crushed saffron strands.

Stir on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Note: I used organic sugar. You can also use white sugar. For a less sweet taste, use 1 cup sugar.

Liquid mixture with saffron, water and sugar.

23. Once the syrup comes to a boil, stop stirring. Let it boil for about 8 to 10 minutes until it reaches one-string consistency.

Note: Start testing after 5 minutes of boiling, because the syrup thickens fast towards the end.

24. To test, take a drop of syrup on a spoon and let it cool for a few seconds. Then touch it between your thumb and forefinger and pull them apart. You should see one thread. Switch off the heat.

One string sugar consistency being shown between two fingers.

Combine & Make Mohanthal

25. Pour the hot sugar syrup into the warm roasted besan mixture.

Sugar syrup added to roasted besan and ghee mixture in kadai.

26. Mix quickly and well. The mixture will look loose and glossy at first, then thicken in 1 to 2 minutes as the besan absorbs the syrup. It will look like a thick, pourable cake batter.

Tip: If it is still runny after 4 to 5 minutes, put the kadai back on low heat and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture thickens and starts leaving the sides.
Tip: If it seizes and turns crumbly, the syrup was overcooked. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons hot milk or as needed and mix on low heat until it comes together.

Thick, brown mohanthal mixture in kadai.

27. The mixture thickens fast once the syrup is added. As soon as it is mixed well and still pourable, transfer it to the greased tray or baking pan. Tap the tray on the counter a few times.

Since the mixture is pourable and molten, it settles on its own and there is no need to level it. If your mixture is thicker, level it with a spatula.

Brown mohanthal mixture in a parchment lined baking tray.

28. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons each of chopped pistachios and almonds on top.

Press the nuts in lightly with the spatula so they stick once the mohanthal sets.

Mohanthal sweet topped with sliced nuts in baking pan.

Set & Slice

29. Let the mohanthal cool and set at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Then cut it into neat squares with a sharp knife. You will get about 20 pieces.

Before cutting, you can also top the mohanthal with edible silver leaf (chandi vark) if you like. If using, look for vark that is labeled vegetarian and made with pure silver.

Tip: Wipe the knife clean between cuts for neat edges.

Mohanthal sweet cut into squares, topped with nuts.

Serving & Storage

Serve mohanthal at room temperature. It is a festive sweet for Diwali, Janmashtami, weddings and pujas, and can be offered as bhog or prasad. It also packs well in sweet boxes for gifting. Add it to your Diwali Sweets platter or serve a piece with a cup of masala chai.

Store mohanthal in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. In hot and humid weather, refrigerate it. Chilled mohanthal becomes firmer, so keep it at room temperature for some time before serving.

The texture and flavor of mohanthal are best the next day.

Mohanthal sweet dessert with nuts and edible silver leaf (vark).

Dassana’s Recipe Tips

Use a heavy kadai and stir non-stop: Roast the besan in a thick-bottomed heavy kadai or frying pan, and keep stirring the whole time while it is on the heat. If you stop stirring, the mixture sticks to the bottom and can burn.
Pick the right besan: Semi-fine besan gives a nice granular texture. For a more granular mohanthal, use coarse besan (mota or ladoo besan). Fine besan works too, but rub and sieve it well as it forms lumps easily.
Don’t skip the dhrabo: Rubbing the besan with warm ghee and milk, resting it and sieving it is what makes mohanthal grainy. Without this step, the texture is smooth like a Besan Barfi.
Keep the ghee-milk mixture warm, not hot: Heat it only until the ghee melts. Hot liquid can make the besan clump.
No big lumps: Large lumps stay raw in the center while roasting. Pulse them in a mixer-grinder and sift again.
Roast on low heat: Roast on low to medium-low heat for even color. Go by the deep golden color, nutty aroma and separating ghee, rather than only the time.
Get the syrup right: One-string consistency is what you need. Undercooked syrup leaves the mohanthal soft and runny, while overcooked syrup makes it seize and turn hard and crumbly. Start testing after 5 minutes of boiling.
Fix the consistency: If the mixture is runny after 4 to 5 minutes, cook it on low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. If it turns crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons hot milk and mix on low heat.

Foolproof Mohanthal Recipe!

Ingredients You Need