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    Home » Recipe Course » Desserts

    Besan Halwa

    November 7, 2022 . By Meeta Arora . Leave a Comment | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Besan Halwa
    Besan Halwa

    Made with simple ingredients of gram flour, ghee, sugar, this rich and aromatic cardamom infused Besan halwa is a quick dessert that can be made ready within minutes.

    Besan Halwa in two pretty brass bowls

    We Indians always love our desserts and halwa is very popular one. Making halwa requires very few ingredients and they are usually available at home.

    Sooji (Semolina) halwa is the most popular choice and is a staple one in most Indian households. Other versions of halwa are - Coconut Pumpkin halwa, Moong dal halwa, Carrot halwa, and Aata Halwa.

    Recently I have been leaning a lot into a variety of gram flour recipes. It is extremely nutritious, easily available, and so versatile. While you can use it in savory recipes like khandvi and kadhi, it is also great to make sweets such as besan ladoo, magas, besan barfi, and this halwa.

    Like every other halwa recipe, this Besan Halwa requires only a few ingredients like gram flour, sugar, milk, and ghee. Also, this halwa is very good for sore throats. So if you have a cold and sore throat, then this halwa is your best medicine.

    You can make this halwa in a thinner consistency when you have a sore throat. I usually add 3x or more water when I am making this halwa for sore throat.

    Jump to:
    • What is Besan Halwa?
    • Why you will love this Besan Halwa?
    • Ingredients
    • How to make?
    • Meeta's Pro-Tips
    • Besan Halwa

    What is Besan Halwa?

    This Besan Halwa can also be called gram flour pudding (or chickpea flour pudding).

    The main ingredients are like I said before are gram flour, sugar, milk, and ghee. Adding a bit of cardamom and saffron to the halwa gives it a great aroma and you can also add some nuts, but they are optional.

    This halwa can be made with regular besan flour or the coarse ladoo besan flour. The regular besan gives it a smooth texture, while the ladoo besan flour gives the grainy (danedar in hindi) texture similar to Sooji Halwa. Either way it turns out great and is delicious.

    It tastes a bit like besan ladoo at the first bite, and then it will melt in your mouth with the richness of ghee and sugar.

    Why you will love this Besan Halwa?

    • Made with basic ingredients you might have in your pantry.
    • Quick and rasy to make
    • You will love the nutty melt-in-the-mouth taste of this halwa.
    • Great for sore throat, and for little kids.

    Ingredients

    Besan (Gram Flour): To make this besan halwa, you can use either regular besan flour or ladoo besan flour. The later ladoo besan is coarsely ground, which helps to make the dish have a grainy texture. My family did love the halwa made either way, but the one made with ladoo besan had a little edge over the regular besan flour.

    If you don't have ladoo besan (can also use Magaz flour) or can't find it in the store, you can also follow the "Dhrabo" technique mentioned in my Magas recipe to get a grainy texture with the regular besan flour. This does add some steps and time to the recipe, but will be well worth it.

    Water (or Milk): I used water to make this halwa. You can also substitute with milk or use a combination of half cup milk and 1 cup water. But the total quantity of either of them should be the same.

    Sugar: I used regular granulated sugar in this halwa. You can also use the same amount of crushed jaggery. Using jaggery gives this halwa a darker brown color, which looks amazing too.

    Ghee: Do not skimp on ghee when making halwa. Use good quality store bought ghee or use homemade ghee.

    Besan Halwa ingredients

    How to make?

    • Take a small pot (preferably with a handle) and add water, sugar, cardamom and saffron. Heat it on a medium-high heat until the sugar melts. Turn off the flame and keep it aside.
    • Heat a pan on medium flame and add ghee. Once the ghee has melted, add the besan flour.
    • Turn the flame to medium-low and roast the besan while stirring continuously until it starts turning golden brown. It will take about 12-15 minutes or more to fully roast the besan and your kitchen will be filled with a delicious nutty aroma.
    Steps to make sugar syrup and roast besan flour in ghee
    • Next add a tablespoon of milk to the besan while roasting it as also helps to give a grainy texture. When you add milk, the mixture will fluff up. Add 1 tablespoon at a time and keep stirring.
    • Now add the water and sugar mixture little by little while stirring continuously. Make sure to do it very slowly as there will be some splatter when you pour the mixture into the hot pan. But as the water gradually mixes with the besan the splatter will stop.
    Mix milk and sugar syrup in besan halwa recipe
    • Soon the halwa will start to boil and thicken, but don't stop the stirring.
    • When it is just thickened, add a tablespoon of ghee for the extra richness.
    • Remove from flame when the halwa comes out from the sides of the pan.
    • Garnish with nuts of your choice and serve immediately. 
    Steps to make besan ka halwa in a pan

    I love to garnish with pistachios for their wonderful green color.

    Look a the delicious dreamy halwa. It is so good!

    Smooth and grainy Besan Halwa in a pan

    It is best to serve halwa warm.

    Serve in bowls, and garnish with some more nuts.

    Besan Halwa served in 2 bowls on a pretty table

    Meeta's Pro-Tips

    Follow my pro-tips to make your besan halwa delicious and mouthwatering.

    • Use non-stick or heavy bottom pan to make the halwa
    • This halwa gives out a wonderful nutty taste and the right way to get it is by roasting it correctly on low heat. Too much roasting will give a burnt taste and too little roasting will make the dish raw. So, it is best to roast it till the besan flour gives out a nutty aroma.
    • Don't skimp on ghee while making halwa (really, any halwa).
    • Patience is the key to make this halwa.
    • You can either use water or milk or combination of both to prepare this besan halwa. Using milk will give a lighter color to this halwa, but the taste will be just as good.
    • You can add nuts, saffron or cardamom to this recipe or skip them to your preference.
    • Store the excess halwa in the refrigerator. Serve it by reheating it in a pan or in the microwave (30 seconds) until the ghee melts and the halwa softens.
    Closeup of besan halwa in a bowl

    Hope you enjoy this delicious, easy halwa recipe. Don't forget to share a picture with hashtag #pipingpotcurry if you do make it!

    More easy Indian dessert recipes:

    • Kalakand
    • Almond flour halwa
    • Mango Shrikhand
    • Oats Kheer
    • Zarda Sweet Rice (Meethe Chawal)
    • 10+ Best Halwa Recipes
    Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
    Besan ka Halwa garnished with pistachios in 2 bowls

    Besan Halwa

    Meeta Arora
    Made with simple ingredients of gram flour, ghee, sugar, this rich and aromatic cardamom infused Besan Halwa is a quick dessert that can be made ready within minutes.
    5 from 1 vote
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    Servings: 6
    Calories: 298
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten-free, Vegetarian
    Method: Stovetop
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 25 mins

    Equipment

    • Heavy Bottom Pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup Gram flour (Besan) can use fine or coarse ladoo besan, 100 grams
    • ½ cup Ghee divided, 100 grams
    • 3 tablespoon Milk warm
    • 1 ½ cup Water
    • ½ cup Granulated White Sugar 100 grams, adjust to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi)
    • Saffron (Kesar) few strands, optional
    • 2-3 tablespoon Mixed nuts slivered, divided (cashews, almonds, pistachios, raisins)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Take a small pot (preferably with a handle) and add water, sugar, cardamom and saffron. Heat it on a medium-high heat until the sugar melts. Turn off the flame and keep it aside.
    • Heat a pan on medium flame and add ghee. Once the ghee has melted, add the besan flour.
    • Turn the flame to medium-low and roast the besan while stirring continuously until it starts turning golden brown. It will take about 12-15 minutes or more to fully roast the besan and your kitchen will be filled with a delicious nutty aroma.
    • Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time while stirring continuously. The mixture will fluff up when you add the milk. This steps helps to give the halwa a little grainy texture.
    • Pour in water and sugar mixture little by little while stirring continuously. Be careful as there will be some splatter when you initially start pouring, but that will stop once the syrup mixes with the besan. 
    • The halwa will start to boil and thicken. Continue stirring. 
    • When it is just thickened, stir in a tablespoon of ghee for the extra richness.
    • The halwa is ready when it starts to leave the sides of the pan. Remove from flame. Garnish with nuts. Serve immediately. 

    Video

    Notes

    Which besan to use? If you can find ladoo besan which is course, use that for this halwa recipe as it gives a grainy texture to the final dish. Otherwise regular besan will work too. 
    You can also use the "Dhrabo" method to get the grainy texture for the halwa. Add gram flour, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1 tablespoon ghee in a small mixing bowl and mix well. Allow for a 30-minute resting period. After 30 minutes, sieve the mixture with a medium hole strainer to get a consistent grainy texture to the besan.
    What to use: Milk or Water to make Halwa? The easy answer is that either works or a mixture of both milk and water works too. When using water, the color will be more on the brownish side. If you use milk, the final Besan Halwa will not be as brown in color. You can also use a combination such as ½ cup milk with 1 cup of water. 
    Ghee: Don't skimp on ghee when making halwa. I have tried with less and it does not taste as good 🙂
    Roasting Besan: Be patient when roasting the gram flour, it takes time. But roasting along with ghee definitely helps to speed the process. 
    Optional ingredients: Nuts, saffron and cardamom are optional. Add or skip based on your taste and availability.
    Serving: You can serve it warm (preferred) or cold. To reheat, place in microwave for 15-30 seconds. Or heat in a pan on stovetop until the halwa softens and is warmed well. 

    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 21mgPotassium: 202mgFiber: 3gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 21IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword besan halwa, besan ka halwa, gram flour recipes
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

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    Meeta Arora of Piping Pot Curry

    I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. Here you will find easy & delicious recipes using Instant Pot & Air Fryer.

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