Besan ka Halwa

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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.

besan ka halwa garnished with saffron strands, almond slivers and served in a plate with text layover.

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?

Step-by-Step Guide

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.

boiling milk in a pot

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.

melting ghee in a pan

3. Once ghee melts, then lower the heat. Add 1 cup of gram flour (besan) and mix it very well with the ghee.

besan added

4. On a low heat. Keep stirring the besan so that it is evenly roasted.

begin to roast the besan

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.

roasting besan low heat

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.

roasted besan

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.

adding milk to besan

8. Keep continuously stirring the mixture.

continuously stirring the mixture

9. Now pour the rest of the hot milk.

adding rest of 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.

Continue stirring the mixture

Cook Besan Halwa

11. Add ⅓ cup of sugar. You can add more sugar if you want. It all depends upon your taste preferences.

sugar added

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.

stirring and cooking besan halwa mixture

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.

besan halwa mixture thickening

14. Add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder, 4 to 5 pistachios (slivered or chopped) and 4 to 5 almonds (slivered or chopped).

cardamom powder and nuts added

15. Stir and mix well.

mixing nuts with besan halwa mixture

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.

besan halwa leaving side of pan

17. Switch off the heat. The besan halwa will become thick as it cools down.

cooked besan halwa in the pan

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.

besan halwa served in a plate garnished with nuts

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besan halwa recipe

Besan Ka Halwa

Besan halwa is a delicious sweet made from gram flour, ghee, sugar and cardamom powder.
4.85 from 26 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Cuisine Indian
Course Desserts
Diet Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 2
Units

Ingredients

For besan ka halwa

  • ¼ cup Ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 cup besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
  • 1.5 cups milk
  • 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 Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Besan Ka Halwa
Amount Per Serving
Calories 666 Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 84mg28%
Sodium 108mg5%
Potassium 653mg19%
Carbohydrates 69g23%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 47g52%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 1120IU22%
Calcium 232mg23%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Besan ka Halwa post from the archives (September 2016) has been updated and republished on 23 October 2021.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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29 Comments

  1. Awesome recipe ! Made vegan version with cashew milk and vegan butter. Thank you ! 🌷5 stars

  2. 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.

    1. Both these cups measure the same volume for liquids. So you can use either. I have used dry measuring cup.

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