Besan ka halwa
Preparation Time
5 minutes
Cooking Time
30 minutes
Difficulty Level
easy
Meal Type
Dessert
Serves 6
Key Ingredients
- Besan (chickpea flour)
About This Recipe
Also called besan sheera, this halwa is a rich one: a full cup of flour cooked in half a cup of ghee. The besan is stirred in hot ghee for a full twelve minutes, far past the point where it smells toasted, until it turns deep golden-brown and the ghee glistens at the edges; that roast is what removes the raw smell and gives the halwa its colour.
The hot-water method comes next: boiling water is poured into the hot flour, off the flame, in a thin stream. The mixture puffs up and spits, then settles into a thick, glossy paste that leaves the sides of the kadhai; the jaggery goes in last, so it melts into the halwa instead of burning against the pan. Replace the water with hot milk for a creamier halwa; pour it in the same way, after the roast is done.
The halwa keeps in the fridge for up to two days and reheats with a splash of hot water. Pressed into a tray and cooled, it sets into a soft slab; the besan barfi uses the same roasted flour with less ghee and a jaggery syrup, and sets firm.
Ingredient List
Serving Size:
1x
2x
3x
Halwa
- Besan (chickpea flour) — 1 cup
- Ghee — 8 tbsp
- Jaggery powder — 10 tbsp
- Water — 2 cups
- Cardamom Powder — 1/2 tsp
To serve
- Slivered almonds or pistachios — 1 tbsp
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Serving Suggestions
Serve warm in small bowls, straight from the pan, with the nuts scattered on top; it is rich enough that a small bowl satisfies, and it sets softly as it cools. For the lighter everyday version of roasted besan, see the besan porridge, and the besan recipes roundup has the rest of the flour's repertoire.
Tips for Cooking Besan ka halwa
The roast decides the halwa; twelve minutes feels long, but a pale roast leaves the raw gram smell behind and a dark one turns bitter. Keep the flame low all through, as ghee smokes fast. Pour the water in slowly and off the flame; it spits violently otherwise. Stir without stopping from the moment the besan hits the ghee.
Chef’s Note
A small bowl of this halwa comes to about 346 kcal, with 4.9 g protein, 32.8 g carbs, 21.4 g fat and 2.2 g fibre; the ghee supplies almost all the fat, and the jaggery the bulk of the carbs. It is a rich sweet, so keep the bowls small.
Per serving (approx.): 346 kcal, protein 4.9 g, carbs 33 g, fat 21 g, fibre 2.2 g. Computed from IFCT 2017 / USDA values for the listed quantities. Measures: 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml.
Happy Cooking
!!
ByCOWBERRY
Jun 06, 2026
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