Besan Halwa

5 from 5 votes

Besan Halwa is a rich dessert made with besan (gram flour), ghee and sugar. It's flavored with cardamom and makes an indulgent dessert.

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Rich and aromatic Besan halwa is made with gram flour, ghee, sugar, nuts and flavored with cardamom.

This is one of those desserts which is just perfect for any celebration and requires only few ingredients.

besan halwa served in a copper bowl with two golden spoons placed on the side and another bowl of halwa in the back

As an Indian, your relationship with halwa (or kesari/sheera as it is called in other parts of India) is indispensable. It doesn’t matter which part of the country you belong to, it is one dessert which every Indian grows up eating, in one form or the other.

I grew up eating sooji halwa and atta halwa on a regular basis. They were desserts which require no planning and mom always had the ingredients to make these at home.

Besan Halwa (halwa made with gram flour) was not something mom made very often. So, I had it occasionally especially during winters. Sarvesh though grew up eating is pretty regularly.

Even last year when we were in Delhi, my mother-in-law made besan ka halwa for us. It’s supposed to be really good for throat. So it you are down with cold and have sore throat, this halwa can work wonders.

We both got sick on our trip back home and hence she made it for us. It was really soothing for the throat!

With the Indian festive season just about to begin, I thought it will just be the perfect time to share this simple recipe with you guys.

What is Besan Halwa

As mentioned before, it’s a halwa (pudding) made with besan (gram flour). The main ingredients for this halwa are besan, ghee, sugar and milk/water.

The rest of the ingredients like nuts, cardamom powder etc. are optional. You can skip them. I don’t think my mother-in-law’s halwa had any cardamom powder or nuts in it.

This halwa take a bit of time to put together. Roasting the besan to the correct stage is the most crucial step for this halwa and that takes some time. So, you have to be a little patient while making this halwa.

How to Make Good Besan Halwa

This is a simple dessert but here are few things to keep in mind, especially if you are new to making this.

Roasting the besan to the correct stage: this is the most crucial step for besan halwa.

If you don’t roast it well, then the halwa will taste “raw” and on the other hand if you over-cook the besan then the halwa will burn and once again the taste will be ruined.

So, it’s important to roast until just the right stage. Now, how do you know what is the right stage.

You will have to use 2 things- your eyes and your nose. Keep a close eye on the besan while you are roasting it, it has to turn into a nice golden brown color but not go too far else it will burn.

Also once done, your kitchen will be filled with a wonderful aroma of roasted besan. So these two things will help you know the correct stage.

And of course, just closely follow the timings in my instructions.

Roast on low heat: the besan for this halwa needs to be roasted on low heat.

If you roast on high heat, it will get brown quickly but will remain raw. You also have to stir all the time while you are roasting the besan.

Use a heavy bottom pan: whenever we are roasting something, it’s better to use a heavy bottom pan.

That way the besan won’t burn and will also roast evenly.

Good quality ghee: using a good quality ghee in the halwa makes all the difference. So you can either use homemade ghee or use a good brand from the Indian grocery store.

I would also like to talk about the consistency of the halwa here. This halwa has a soft consistency, it’s neither too thick and neither it’s liquid-y.

For 1/2 cup besan, I have use a bit more than double the amount of liquid for this recipe.

My mother-in-law often makes this soupy besan halwa when we have sore throat and for that she used a lot more liquid because it’s supposed to be good for the throat that way.

So you can adjust the amount of liquids accordingly.

Serving Suggestions

This halwa is best enjoyed piping hot.

You can store the leftovers in the fridge and then microwave it.

If re-heating in a pan, cover with a lid so that the ghee melts and it comes back to its original consistency.

And stay tuned for many more recipes for the upcoming festive season, I can’t wait to share them all with you guys!

Method

1- Heat ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once the ghee melts, lower the heat to low and add besan.

Mix the besan with the ghee using a spatula. Now start stirring and cooking the besan.

2- Meanwhile in a pan heat up milk and water. There’s no boiling needed here, just warm up the mixture and keep it ready.

3- Keep stirring besan on low heat, it will start to change color. This is how it looks after 10 minutes of cooking.

4- After around 17 minutes of cooking on low heat,  it becomes golden brown in color. At this point, your kitchen will also be filled with a wonderful nutty aroma of the besan. That’s the stage of adding the liquids.

step by step picture collage of making besan halwa

5- Add the heated up milk and water mixture to the roasted besan. The mixture will bubble so be careful.

6- Stir the liquids with the besan until it all becomes smooth.

7- Then add the sugar, mix well and increase the heat to medium and continue to cook for 2 more minutes until halwa starts leaving sides of the pan.

8- Add chopped nuts, cardamom powder and mix. Turn off the heat.

step by step picture collage of making besan halwa

Serve besan halwa warm. You may garnish with more nuts before serving.

bowl of besan halwa with a spoon inserted in it and another bowl of halwa placed in the back

If you’ve tried this Besan Halwa Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on FacebookInstagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!

Besan Halwa

5 from 5 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 3
Besan Halwa is a rich dessert made with besan (gram flour), ghee and sugar. It's flavored with cardamom and makes an indulgent dessert.

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup ghee 100 grams, in semi-solid state
  • 1/2 cup besan 55 grams, gram flour
  • 3/4 cup milk 6 oz, I used whole milk
  • 1/2 cup water 4 oz
  • 1/3 cup granulated white sugar 75 grams, adjust to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons nuts chopped, I used mix of cashews & almonds
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Instructions 

  • Heat ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once the ghee melts, lower the heat to low and add besan.
    Mix the besan with the ghee using a spatula. Now start stirring and cooking the besan.
    besan added to melted ghee in a pan
  • Meanwhile in a pan heat up milk and water. There's no boiling needed here, just warm up the mixture and keep it ready.
    milk in a steel pan
  • Keep stirring besan on low heat, it will start to change color.
    After around 17 minutes of cooking on low heat,  it becomes golden brown in color (see picture). At this point, your kitchen will also be filled with a wonderful nutty aroma of the besan. That's the stage of adding the liquids. 
    golden color liquid in a pan
  • Add the heated up milk and water mixture to the roasted besan. The mixture will bubble so be careful. 
    Stir the liquids with the besan until it all becomes smooth.
    whitish yellow color paste being stirred in a pan
  • Then add the sugar, mix well and increase the heat to medium and continue to cook for 2 more minutes until halwa starts leaving sides of the pan.
    sugar being added to a pan
  • Add chopped nuts, cardamom powder and mix. Turn off the heat.
    golden yellow color pudding in a pan with spice being added to it
  • Serve besan halwa warm. You may garnish with more nuts before serving. 
    pudding served in a copper bowl

Notes

  1. I have used milk and water both in this recipe, the milk makes it creamier. You can use 100% water or 100% milk (to make it even more richer).
  2. The quantity of ghee and sugar can be adjust to taste. 

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 44mg, Potassium: 272mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 27g, Vitamin A: 60IU, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
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Hi, I’m Manali!

Bringing you easy, delicious vegetarian & vegan recipes! Eating veggies can be fun, you just need to get creative in the kitchen with the right set of ingredients!


5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hi Minali,
    I have now made halwa following this recipe a few times. It is perfect, my son craves for it all the time and we celebrate some special occasions eating besan halwa following your helpful recipe. Thanks
    Trapti Trivedi

  2. 5 stars
    I tried this recipe and the halwa was awesome, very tasty and rich.
    I also added a little Sufi and a little flour and flavoured with ground elaich and nutmeg sultanas.
    Thank you.

    1. Every time we catch cold, I come up to this recipe of besan halwa. Thank you for sharing the recipe and the technique. The exact time of roasting has helped a lot. Great recipe.

      1. glad you like it Meena! Yea my mother-in-law always makes this when we have sore throat, it works really well 🙂