You might be surprised by how few ingredients you need to make this beloved Indian dessert. The magic behind the fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth texture of Besan Ki Barfi is in how each element is treated and combined. The simple base of besan flour, ghee, sugar syrup, and spices is transformed into a rich and fragrant delicacy!
What is Burfi
Besan Burfi or Besan ki Barfi is an Indian dessert made with gram flour, ghee, sugar syrup and is laced with aromatic cardamom and saffron. These golden-hued squares are often made during festivals and special occasions--favored for their taste, as well as, their visual appeal on a pretty dessert tray. They are perfectly portable and made for sharing with--your family and friends.
These melt-in-the-mouth dessert squares are full of flavor and nutrition, and I love making them year-round as a snack or treat. Besan ki Barfi is very similar to the Besan Ladoos. Instead of powdered sugar, these barfi squares are made with sugar syrup for their perfect fudge-like consistency.
I am super excited to share this Barfi with you, it is one of my favorite Diwali recipes! Also, since Besan Barfi stays well at room temperature, it makes for a perfect addition to Diwali gift packages.
What is Besan?
Besan also known as gram flour is flour made from the yellow split Bengal gram or chana daal. A staple in Indian kitchens this gluten-free, high-in-fiber flour is made from dried split chickpeas and has an earthy, nutty flavor.
It is also sometimes called chickpea flour, However, there is a slight difference between the two. Chickpea flour is made from whole white chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Besan is available as coarse and finely ground in the Indian grocery stores. For this recipe, I use the fine or the superfine variety.
Tips
Here are mom's tips for making the perfect Besan Burfi:
- Buy fresh, good quality besan and sift it before using.
- Use good quality homemade ghee for the heavenly taste and aroma.
- Slow roast the gram flour and ghee in a wide heavy-bottomed pan.
- Make perfect one-string consistency sugar syrup.
How to make the Sugar syrup
Making perfect one-string consistency sugar syrup or "Chasni" is key in this besan barfi recipe. Here are my tips for making perfect syrup every single time and these tips will also come in handy for other desserts like Rava Ladoo, Balushahi, or other Indian sweets that use sugar syrup.
- Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to make the syrup. I use a 2-quart saucepan. If your saucepan is smaller or thin, it may take you less time.
- Once the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil, lower the heat and allow the syrup to simmer for 6 to 7 minutes.
- Check for one-string consistency. There are 2 ways to do this: First, the traditional way is to take out a few drops of syrup on a small plate and allow it to cool for a few seconds. Then dip your index finger in the syrup and press it on your thumb. Slowly open and close the index and thumb finger and you should see a string being formed between the two fingers. My biggest tip with this method is to allow the few drops of syrup to cool just a bit before you test it. The second method is to use a digital thermometer and dip it in the syrup making sure it is not touching the bottom of the pan for accuracy. Once it reaches 220 F around 6 to 7 minutes the syrup is ready.
Variations
- Sooji or Rava adds a slight texture to the otherwise creamy besan ki barfi. You can easily make this Indian dessert gluten-free, by skipping the sooji altogether
- Allergic to nuts? You can skip the almonds and pistachios or add your favorite nuts instead
- In Gujarat, a similar sweet dish called Magaz or Magas is very popular. Recipe for Magas uses powdered sugar and a lot more ghee to make the fudgy squares.
Ingredients
Besan Ki Barfi needs just 7 ingredients - Besan, Ghee, Sooji, sugar, cardamom, and saffron. And the best part is that all of these ingredients are readily available in Indian grocery stores.
How to make Besan Ki Barfi
Here is the step-by-step recipe. Scroll down at the end of this post for ingredient measurements and a printable recipe card.
- Melt ghee in a wide pan over medium heat. Add sooji and besan and roast on low heat for 30 to 35 minutes stirring constantly. The besan will look very crumbly in the beginning, keep stirring and breaking the lumps with the spatula as you keep roasting. The mixture will slowly start to melt after 15 minutes or so. Sometimes this step can take longer so keep stirring on low heat. The mixture should start to feel lighter and aromatic. Make sure that it does not get too brown. Turn the heat off.
- Add cardamom and give a quick stir.
- Next, make the syrup. Add water, sugar, and saffron to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring until the sugar melts. Once the syrup comes to a boil, lower the heat. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until the syrup comes to one string consistency. To check the consistency of the syrup put a few drops of sugar in a bowl, allow it to cool. Then take the syrup between the index finger and thumb and open and close them gently a few times. You should feel stickiness and also a string being formed between the finger as you pull them apart. The other way is to check using a digital thermometer and to make sure the syrup is at 220 F
- The besan mixture should be warm at this point. Add the syrup to the besan mixture and mix it well. Evenly spread the mixture using a silicone spatula on the parchment-lined tray.
- Sprinkle nuts on top and gently press down with the silicone spatula. Allow the mixture to cool down and the burfi to set for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Cut the burfi into 16 pieces.
Storing
Store at room temperature in an air-tight container for upto 2 weeks. You can also refrigerate for extended shelf life.
Serving
Besan Burfi makes for a perfect dessert. You can also enjoy it as an afternoon snack with a cup of hot tea. Since the Besan burfi stays well at room temperature it is perfect to pack for picnics or lunch boxes as a yummy treat.
I hope you will try this easy Besan Barfi at home. A must-have sweet especially during Diwali season this besan barfi will complement your assortment of sweets and savories AKA Faral.
Why is my besan not becoming light and flowy
Make sure to slow roast the besan and ghee for at least 3o to 35 minutes. The besan should not brown before this time. Keep stirring as this recipe does require a bit of patience.
Why is my Barfi not setting?
If the sugar syrup is undercooked barfi will not set. There are 2 options to fix this:
1. Cook the mixture again for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat and then spread it back on the baking tray.
2. Refrigerate for few hours. The burfi may become chewy or more fudge-like but will still taste delicious.
Why is my burfi hard and not melt-in-mouth?
If the sugar syrup is overcooked barfi will become hard and dry. Unfortunately, there is no way to fix this after the fact.
Did you enjoy this Indian dessert? Here are some more Homemade Indian sweets to try:
Besan Barfi
Ingredients
- 2 cups besan sifted (210 grams)
- 2 tablespoons fine sooji
- ⅔ cup ghee
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Sugar syrup
- 1 cup sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup water
- 1 pinch saffron
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced nuts
Instructions
- Line a 8 x 8 baking tray with parchment paper.
- Melt ghee in a wide pan over medium heat. Add sooji and besan and roast on low heat for 30 to 35 minutes stirring constantly. The besan will look very crumbly in the beginning, keep stirring and breaking the lumps with the spatula as you keep roasting. The mixture will slowly start to melt after 15 minutes or so. Sometimes this step can take longer so keep stirring on low heat. The mixture should start to feel lighter and aromatic. Make sure that it does not get too brown. Turn the heat off.
- Add cardamom and give a quick stir.
- Next, make the syrup. Add water, sugar, and saffron to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring until the sugar melts. Once the syrup comes to a boil, lower the heat. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until the syrup comes to one string consistency. To check the consistency of the syrup put a few drops of sugar in a bowl, allow it to cool. Then take the syrup between the index finger and thumb and open and close them gently a few times. You should feel stickiness and see a string being formed between the finger as you pull them apart. The other way is to check using a digital thermometer. Dip the thermometer in the syrup after 5 of simmering making sure the tip does not touch the bottom of the pan. The thermometer should read 220 F for perfect one string syrup.
- The besan mixture should be warm at this point. Add the syrup to the besan mixture and mixing well. Evenly spread the mixture using a silicone spatula on the parchment-lined tray. Sprinkle nuts on top and gently press down with the silicone spatula. Allow the mixture to cool down and the burfi to set for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Cut the barfi into 16 pieces. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container for upto 2 weeks. You can also refrigerate if you like.
Priya Vazarkar says
Dear Archana,
Thanks for the recipe! I wanted to try since I tasted your burfi and I must say it came out exactly the same as I had tasted.
Love it! Thanks
Archana says
Thank you Priya! So glad you enjoyed it.
Biljana Sipinkarovski says
Can you substitute the sugar with honey or maple syrup?
Thank you!
Shail Kumar says
Love your recipes, this is a very easy & yummy recipe thank you,
Happy Diwali to you & your family
Archana says
Thank you!
BS says
Can you substitute the sugar with honey or maple syrup
Archana says
I would not recommend substituting the sugar syrup with honey or maple syrup in this recipe.
Mish Morris says
What is Sooji?
Archana says
semolina, its available in Indian grocery stores.