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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Indian Sweets & desserts » Besan Halwa

    Published: Apr 18, 2021 | Last Updated On: Nov 14, 2022 by Neha Mathur

    Besan Halwa

    231 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Made using chickpea flour, ghee, and lots of dry nuts and fruits, Besan Halwa is a traditional, rich North Indian sweet dish that is a favorite for celebrations, festivals, and pujas. It’s easy to make, comes together in 25 minutes, and makes for a delicious dessert (vegetarian, gluten-free).

    Halwa makes for an amazing dessert after your weekend meals, so try some other halwa recipes too – Lauki Ka Halwa, Moong Dal Halwa, Sooji Ka Halwa, Bread Halwa, Beetroot Halwa, Aate Ka Halwa, Carrot Halwa, and Aloo Ka Halwa.

    Besan halwa served in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • About Besan Halwa
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Besan Halwa
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Pro Tips By Neha
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About Besan Halwa

    Besan Halwa is a delicious Punjabi sweet dish that is prepared using chickpea flour (besan, gram flour), ghee, sugar, and lots of dry fruits.

    This halwa which you can also call chickpea flour pudding is a thick, and creamy sweet dish that is made for weddings, special occasions, pujas, and festivals like Holi and Diwali.

    Just like other Indian besan sweet like besan ladoo, besan burfi, Mysore pak, etc, this chickpea flour halwa is also a classic.

    Besan halwa is also considered a great dish to eat during pregnancy and for growing kids and is said to be a sure-shot remedy to give comfort in the severest cold.

    You can make it a little thinner by adding more milk if you are planning to serve it as a medicine for cold or sore throat.

    Made using a handful of ingredients, this delicious besan ka halwa comes together in under 25 minutes. It is a great sweet dish to prepare when you want to make something super delicious and super quick.

    Some recipes ask for making sugar syrup separately, but my recipe to make this besan ka sheera is super simple and one-pot. Do try!

    Ingredients

    Besan halwa ingredients 1
    Besan halwa ingredients 2

    You will need a few basic ingredients like besan flour (gram flour, chickpea flour), ghee, sugar, milk, water, and cardamom powder to make this besan halwa recipe.

    Use whole milk (full-fat milk) for the best results. Having said that, you can use skim milk and low-fat milk too.

    Do not forget to add cardamom powder, as it adds a unique flavor. If you do not have cardamom powder, you can crush green cardamom seeds and add them.

    Finish off the halwa with some almond and pistachio slivers. You can also add cashews and raisins to it.

    To make besan ka halwa recipe even more indulgent and give it a royal touch, add 15-20 strands of saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon milk for 30 minutes.

    How To Make Besan Halwa

    Heat ½ cup ghee in a heavy bottom pan at medium heat.

    Ghee heating in a pan.

    Once the ghee is melted, add ¾ cup chickpea flour and fry until it turns dark brown and aromatic (10-12 mins), stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning at the bottom of the pan.

    Note – The color of the final halwa will depend on how well you have roasted the flour. You want the flour to be dark brown in color but not burn it. It goes from perfectly browned to burnt in a few seconds. So keep a close eye while roasting it.

    Chickpea flour added to the pan.
    Mixed well.
    Roasted flour.

    Once the chickpea flour is browned well, add 1 cup water and ½ cup milk to the pan and mix well. Cook until the liquid is absorbed by the flour, stirring continuously.

    Water and milk added to the pan.
    Cooked flour.

    Now add ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cardamom powder to the pan and mix well.

    Sugara nd cardamom powder added to the pan.

    Cook for 5-6 minutes until the ghee starts to separate from the sides of the pan. Stir continuously while cooking.

    Once done, garnish with almond and pistachio slivers and serve hot.

    Ready besan halwa.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you make vegan besan ka halwa?

    To make the halwa vegan, replace ghee with coconut oil and dairy milk with any plant-based milk like coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc.

    Pro Tips By Neha

    Try to make besan ka halwa only in ghee and do not reduce the amount of ghee.

    Fry the besan on medium heat. If you fry on high heat, the besan might get burned.

    Make sure to fry the besan until it turns dark brown in color and a nutty aroma starts to come. If not fried properly, the besan will taste raw.

    You can replace water with milk for a richer halwa.

    Storage Suggestions

    Besan ka halwa tastes best when made fresh. But if you still have leftovers, you can refrigerate the halwa for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

    Reheat it in a pan or microwave until nice and warm. If you feel it has become a little thick after refrigerating, add in a little milk or water and adjust the consistency.

    You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, just thaw it overnight in the fridge or over the counter for a few hours. Heat in a microwave and serve.

    You Might Also Like

    • Mango Falooda
    • Sheer Khurma (Vermicelli Milk Dates Pudding)
    • Traditional Lachha Rabdi (Rabri)
    • Maharashtrian Puran Poli Sweet

    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Made using chickpea flour, ghee, and lots of dry nuts and fruits, Besan Halwa is a traditional, rich North Indian sweet dish that is a favorite for celebrations, festivals, and pujas. It's easy to make, comes together in 25 minutes, and makes for a delicious dessert (vegetarian, gluten-free).

    Besan Halwa Recipe

    Made using chickpea flour, ghee, and lots of dry nuts and fruits, Besan Halwa is a traditional, rich North Indian sweet dish that is a favorite for celebrations, festivals, and pujas. It's easy to make, comes together in 25 minutes, and makes for a delicious dessert.
    4.09 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 248kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • ½ cup ghee
    • ¾ cup chickpea flour (besan, gram flour)
    • 1 cup water
    • ½ cup whole milk (full-fat milk)
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
    • Almond and pistachio slivers for garnishing
    US Customary or Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan at medium heat.
    • Once the ghee is melted, add chickpea flour and fry until it turns dark brown and aromatic (10-12 mins), stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning at the bottom of the pan.
    • Note – The color of the final halwa will depend on how well you have roasted the flour. You want the flour to be dark brown in color but not burn it. It goes from perfectly browned to burnt in a few seconds. So keep a close eye while roasting it.
    • Once the chickpea flour is browned well, add water and milk to the pan and mix well. Cook until the liquid is absorbed by the flour, stirring continuously.
    • Now add sugar and cardamom powder to the pan and mix well.
    • Cook for 5-6 minutes until the ghee starts to separate from the sides of the pan. Stir continuously while cooking.
    • Once done, garnish with almond and pistachio slivers and serve hot.

    Video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPBFSFGattE

    Notes

    To make the halwa even more indulgent, add 15-20 strands of saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon of milk for 30 minutes.
    You can replace water with milk for a richer halwa.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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    More Sweets & Desserts Recipes

    • Traditional Carrot Halwa (Gajar Ka Halwa) w/ Khoya
    • White Chocolate Nuts Cups
    • Rajbhog Shrikhand
    • Gulab Jamun Truffles

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Priyanka Sinha

      April 28, 2019 at 12:40 pm

      5 stars
      I tried your recipe and it came out really well!

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        April 29, 2019 at 7:58 am

        Thnx for trying 🙂

        Reply
      • Masna

        May 03, 2020 at 1:21 pm

        Mine turned too dark in colour, but taste was good don’t know what did I do wrong

        Reply
        • Neha Mathur

          May 04, 2020 at 10:21 am

          Hi Masna, the besan should be roasted just about dark brown for perfect colour. Over roasting will make the halwa dark in colour.

          Reply
          • Mamta

            November 02, 2022 at 12:33 pm

            5 stars
            my halwa turned out very good

            Reply
    2. Arshad

      January 12, 2020 at 7:16 pm

      I have not tried the recipe but I want to make sure that the amount of Besan is 1/2 cup and Ghee is 1/2 cup, Sugar is 1/2 cup, Milk is 1/2 cup.
      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        January 13, 2020 at 2:36 am

        Yes, it’s the right amount.

        Reply
    3. AARZOO

      January 18, 2020 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      My mom used to make Besan ka halwa for my dad as his comfort food. She passed away a few months ago. I have only a few of her recipes but didn’t have one for the halwa. I followed your recipe and kept my mom’s voice in my head to make sure I don’t overdo the heat or stirring. It turned out good and my dad loved it. Thank you so much for helping me try and recreate such a beloved recipe and remember her.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        January 20, 2020 at 2:07 am

        It is so good to hear this 🙂

        Reply
    4. Rahul

      February 09, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      Tried many other besan Ka halwa recipes but I can this one was the best among all.
      I didn’t used 1/2 cup water as you mentioned that it will come up with richer taste with milk only.
      Thank you for the recipe. It was the best desert I’ve ever made.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        February 10, 2020 at 8:07 am

        So glad to read this 🙂

        Reply
    5. AJMUL ALI

      March 04, 2020 at 3:04 pm

      Yes I tried your recipe seriously it’s too tasty one of my girlfriend came from U. s. A and she Never tried any Indian food but she love this halwa thank you so much

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        March 04, 2020 at 3:20 pm

        Good to know this 🙂

        Reply
    6. vedica bhardwaj

      July 17, 2020 at 1:05 pm

      hi neha! this is me vedica bhardwaj…. a restaurant owner in Boston and i must say that this is the perfect place for me to get ideas for the beautiful cum auspicious indian specialities for celebrating them across the western world! thanks and a warm hearted congratulations for your effort come in bright colours…. People like you are admired!
      cheers to future!

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        July 18, 2020 at 4:27 am

        Happy to hear this Vedica 🙂

        Reply

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