Besan Burfi Recipe

Updated: October 23, 2022, By Swasthi

Besan Burfi is a North Indian sweet made with gram flour, sugar, ghee and cardamom powder. This mouth melting & delicious burfi is a traditional festive delight. It is made mostly during festivals and celebrations. Besan burfi is made on the same lines as Besan ladoo. Both these are made with essentially the same ingredients however the method of making is slightly different.

About Besan Burfi

What is besan burfi? Besan is the Hindi name for gram flour and burfi is an Indian fudge.  Besan barfi is Indian gram flour fudge.

Traditional besan burfi recipe requires the skill of understanding sugar syrup consistencies. If you are a newbie my detailed post will help you easily understand it. I have also shared a lot of tips below.

This recipe is very easy and you can make it at a slow pace except for the last step. You don’t have to hurry up to follow the steps one after the other.

To begin with gram flour is roasted in ghee until it loses the raw flavor and turns aromatic. Then it is cooled down. Next 1 string consistency sugar syrup is prepared.

Then both these are mixed and poured to a greased tray to set. Lastly the mixture is garnished with chopped nuts. Once the burfi is set it is sliced.

This recipe will give you a perfectly set besan burfi that literally melts in your mouth. The texture comes close to the soft set ghee mysore pak but this has a nutty aroma.

If you are looking for no sugar sweets check out these
Gond ke Laddu
Pinni
Badam Ladoo
Date Balls
Dry Fruits Ladoo

Besan barfi

Photo Guide

Grease a 7 inch tray with ghee. You can also line a parchment paper. You can also sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped nuts at the bottom if you prefer.

Measuring ingredients

The most important step in this recipe is to measure the ingredients very carefully. Here are some tips that may help you.

Ghee: 120 grams (½ cup + 1½ tablespoons). It can be either in the liquid, solid or semi solid form. Meaning melted & unmelted both will be same.

Besan/ gram flour: 210 grams (2 cups). This time I used fine flour but slightly coarse also works well. If you want your besan burfi extremely smooth, then use fine flour. I did not sieve the flour. But instead I fluff up the flour in the jar with a fork and then scoop it to the measuring cup.

Semolina: I have used 2 tablespoons of fine suji here as it gives a slight texture to the besan burfi. It also imparts a slightly milky aroma. If you don’t want to use it substitute it with the same amount of besan. Check my tips below to know why I used it.

Sugar: 200 grams (1 cup). I used organic fine cane sugar. If you are using the regular refined sugar, you may cut down slightly as it is more sweeter.

Photo Guide

How to Make Besan Barfi (Stepwise Photos)

Roast Besan

1. Pour 120 grams ghee (½ cup + 1½ tbsps) to a heavy bottom wide pan. I used my pressure pan here. Heat it on a medium flame. When it melts and turns hot, add 2 tablespoons fine semolina. Mix and let it fry for 50 to 60 seconds.

fry semolina in ghee

2. Then add 2 cups besan (210 grams).

add besan to hot ghee

3. Mix them and begin to fry stirring continuously on a medium heat for 3 to 4 mins. Besan will absorb all of the ghee and the whole mixture will turn thick and clumpy at this stage.

frying besan to make burfi

4. After 3 to 4 mins, reduce the flame to low. Continue to stir and fry it until the color of the besan changes to deep golden. The mixture will burn if you stop stirring it. So stir it non-stop. At this stage you will see the besan turns fluffy, light and airy indicating it is going to be ready soon. As we continue to fry, ghee may begin to release from besan and the mixture is likely to thin down gradually.

ghee releases from besan

5. After about 20 mins of constant stirring and frying, the color of the besan changes to deep golden and begins to smell aromatic. At this stage you will know it is done so be extremely careful & remove if from the stove. We don’t want it to turn brown. Caution: If you continue to cook, it will turn brown and taste bitter.

Note: Depending on the kind of besan and ghee used, your mixture may turn runny but it is not essential. If your besan is not runny at this stage, don’t panic as some times it will never turn runny. It may remain in a solid or semi solid state.

well cooked besan in pan for making burfi

6. Take it off the stove and place on the kitchen counter. Continue to stir for another 3 minutes as the besan continues to cook in the hot ghee even after taking off the heat. Take a small quantity of roasted besan and taste it. It should be aromatic and taste nutty. It should not have even a bit of raw taste. If it passes this test, it means it is perfectly done. Keep this aside to cool down.

Total cook time: I cooked exactly for 4 mins on a medium heat, for 16 mins on a low heat & another 3 mins with the stove turned off. However it may change with the kind of pan used, the source & intensity of heat. This is the color I got towards the end.

cooled roasted gram flour

Make Sugar Syrup

7. Meanwhile make the sugar syrup. Add 200 grams sugar and pour ½ cup water to a pan. Stir well to dissolve it completely and bring this to a boil on a medium heat.

add sugar and water to make sugar syrup

8. Let it cook for a few minutes until it reaches a 1 string consistency. Turn down the heat to low while you check the string consistency.

boiling sugar syrup in a pan

9. To check the 1 string consistency, take ¼ teaspoon sugar syrup and cool it. Take a few drops of syrup in between your thumb and forefinger. Separate the fingers gently. You should see a single long string. Turn off the heat as soon as you see this consistency.

check for 1 string or 1 thread consistency

10. Set this aside to cool down slightly. After 5 mins, recheck to ensure the syrup consistency is right. Stir the syrup with a spoon and lift it. Let all of the syrup drop off. The last drop has to be thick like you see in the picture.

11. As it drops, it should have a long thread consistency.

12. Let this cool down to a slightly hot temperature. If you dip your finger in the syrup, you should feel it is hot and not warm. It is common for the organic cane sugar to crystalize, just scrape the sides with the spatula and add it to the hot syrup at this stage. Your sugar syrup should look something like shown in the picture below. The syrup is all liquid and still hot but not boiling hot.

If you see the syrup is not the same as here, then it means you have gone wrong with the syrup consistency.

cooled sugar syrup

Make Besan Burfi

13. Roasted besan must be slightly hot. Ghee should be in melted form and should not be solidified. Add ¾ teaspoon cardamom powder to the besan and then pour half of the syrup to the warm besan. Mix it continuously until well blended.

pour half of the sugar syrup to roasted besan

14. The mixture will soon thicken in colder climates. So you have be quick.

mixing besan with sugar syrup

15. Pour the rest of the sugar syrup and give a good mix. Be fast at this stage as the mixture will thicken soon especially in cold temperatures.

add sugar syrup in batches

16. Pour it to the greased tray. The texture & consistency will be thick at this stage.

showing consistency of besan burfi mixture

17. Spread it immediately with the spatula.

pour the besan barfi mixture to the greased pan

18. Sprinkle nuts & press down with the spatula. Cool it down until set. Depending on the temperature, besan burfi will set. It took 10 mins for mine to set at room temperature. On cooler days it took just 3 minutes to set.

press down the nuts over the besan burfi mixture

19. When it comes down to warm temperature, slice the besan burfi.

slice the warm mixture in the pan

Cool them completely and store in an air tight jar. You can also garnish with saffron if you like.

sliced besan burfi ready to serve for diwali

Pro Tips

besan burfi recipe

Semolina: Some people don’t like extremely smooth/ paste like texture in their burfi. Using a small amount of semolina here adds a great texture. I have tried both the ways and we personally liked the one with semolina. It will be soft and won’t remain crunchy.

Sugar syrup consistency: The correct way to check the sugar syrup consistency is with cooled syrup. First cool ¼ tsp of syrup & then check the consistency with a few drops of it.

Troubleshooting

Any changes to the quantity of ingredients or deviating from the steps may not set the besan burfi. But you can still troubleshoot and fix it. If the burfi does not set, then pour the mixture back to the pan and cook until it turns thick and begins to leave the sides.

Then pour it to the tray and set. But remember not to overcook as you will end up with broken and dry burfi.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

besan burfi recipe

Besan Burfi Recipe

5 from 34 votes
A festive Indian sweet made with gram flour, sugar and cardamoms. Besan barfi is a popular and traditional North Indian sweet.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time28 minutes
Cooling time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings16 pieces
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 210 grams besan (2 cup gram flour)
  • 2 tablespoon semolina (fine suji, refer notes)
  • 120 grams ghee (½ cup + 1½ tbsps)
  • ¾ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 200 grams organic sugar (1 cup)
  • ½ cup water
  • 12 almonds or pistachios (chopped or sliced)


Instructions

  • Grease a 7 inch pan and line it with a parchment paper. You can also use a steel plate. Slice handful of almonds or pistachios and keep aside.

Roast Besan

  • Heat ghee in a large heavy bottom pan. Add semolina and let it fry for about 50 to 60 seconds.
  • Then add besan and mix well with the ghee. Begin to roast stirring continuously on a medium heat for 3 to 4 mins. At this stage the mixture will be thick.
  • Next after 3 to 4 mins, reduce the flame/heat to lowest (as low as possible) & continue to stir. As it gets fried, the mixture will turn thinner and the ghee begins to release from the besan.
  • Continue to fry stirring constantly until besan turns deep golden color and begins to smell aromatic. After frying for 20 mins, the color of the besan changes to deep golden, meaning it is done roasting. It will also turn fluffy, light, airy and very aromatic.
  • Note: Depending on the kind of besan and ghee used, your mixture may turn runny but it is not essential. If your besan is not runny at this stage, don't panic as some times it will never turn runny. It may remain in a solid or semi solid state.
  • Remove it from the stove and place it on the counter. Continue to stir for another 3 mins as we don't want the mixture to burn. Cool little besan and taste test it, it should not taste raw and should be nutty. Set this aside to cool down slightly.

Make Sugar Syrup

  • Add sugar and pour water to a pot. Stir well and dissolve it. Begin to cook on a medium heat.
  • Let it bubble and boil until the syrup reaches a 1 string consistency.
  • Lower the flame completely and check the consistency. Take ¼ teaspoon sugar syrup from the center of the pot and cool it.
  • Take a few drops of this in between your thumb and forefinger. When you separate the fingers, you should see a single long thread. Turn off the stove immediately.
  • Check this 2 to 3 times to ensure it is right. Check the step-by-step photos above. Cool the sugar syrup a bit to slightly hot temperature.

How to Make Besan Burfi

  • Ensure besan has cooled down to slightly hot or warm temperature but the ghee is not solidified. The syrup is slightly hot & not boiling hot. If you put your finger in the syrup, you should feel it is hot and not warm. Check the picture in the step by step photo instructions so you don't go wrong at this stage. The syrup has to be all liquid and still hot.
  • Add cardamom powder to the besan and then pour half of the sugar syrup.
  • Quickly mix both of them and then pour the rest of the syrup. Mix well. You have to be quick at this stage as the mixture will begin to thicken fast.
  • Immediately pour to the greased tray. Level it with the spatula and sprinkle chopped nuts. Press down with the spatula so the nuts stick to the besan burfi.
  • It will begin to set immediately as it cools down depending on the temperature in your home. Mine took about 10 mins to cool down and set. Cut the burfi when it is slightly warm.
  • Transfer the besan burfi to a air tight jar. Store at room temperature and use up within 2 weeks.


Notes

  • If this is your first attempt, please take a look at the step by step photo instructions so you don’t go wrong.
  • This recipe is not tested for 2x and 3x quantities. If you are an experienced cook you may try but note that the cook times change for 2x and 3x recipe.
  • Besan has to be roasted well until deep golden and should not have the raw taste. It only takes a minute for the well roasted besan to burn and turn bitter. So take it off the stove in time.
  • Also keep stirring it for a good 2 to 3 mins once you are done roasting as besan continues to get roasted even after taking off the heat.
  • Sugar syrup has to be of strong 1 string consistency. A thin 1 string consistency won’t set the burfi well.
  • Do not add hot sugar syrup to hot besan. Ensure besan has cooled down to warm temperature and the sugar syrup is slightly hot and not boiling hot.
  • Troubleshooting: if your besan burfi doesn’t set then simply add it back to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the mixture slightly thickens and leaves the pan. This tastes the same except the texture is slightly different and your burfi will be lighter in color.

Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Besan Burfi Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 182 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 19mg6%
Sodium 9mg0%
Potassium 120mg3%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 5IU0%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi

Iโ€™m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthiโ€™s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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It looks like it is really 60 minutes total time, not 30.

Hi,
Can I add milk powder to this recipe?
Thank you in advance

5 stars
Finally this besan burfi worked out better than I expected. I made it during Navratri and my mom was surprised with the result. It’s delicious and fabulous!

5 stars
Hi Swasthi
Thank you for all your amazing recipes. I look into only your website these days because I am sure the dish is going to turn out great. Even besan barfi came out really delicious. Just one question though. The barfi set really well but itโ€™s a little soft where if itโ€™s given a gentle press it will break. Is there a way to make it slightly sticky rather than very soft?

Hi Swasthi
Thank you for the quick response. I sent over the pic to indianhealthyrecipes email id. Yes, I tried thrice. The one I made today was a little more firm though but not sticky.

Hi Swasthi
Thank you very much for the feedback. Will definitely try and let you know. Appreciate the efforts you take to guide everyone ๐Ÿ™‚

Hi, It is very difficult to fins besan flour; probably it goes by a different name. Is it possible for me to substitute it with plain flour or atta flour?

Is it chickpea flour?

5 stars
The burfi came out perfect. I had to add a little more besan because i used the exact amount of refined sugar (not organic cane sugar) you mentioned. I have to tell you I’m a great fan of yours. I’m telugu but never learnt a thing before marriage. All thanks to you from tomato pappu to idli from besan barfi to cake, i leafnt from you. Thanks a ton. Thanks Swasthi for creating this website for people like me.

เคฎเฅˆเค‚เคจเฅ‡ เคฌเฅ‡เคธเคจ เค•เฅ€ เคฌเคฐเฅเคซเฅ€ เคฌเคจเคˆ เคชเคฐ เคœเคฎเคจเฅ‡ เค•เฅ‡ เคฌเคพเคฆ เค–เคพเคจเฅ‡ เค•เฅ‡ เคฌเคพเคฆ เค•เคšเฅเคšเฅ‡ เคฌเฅ‡เคธเคจ เค•เคพ เคธเฅเคตเคพเคฆ เค†เคฏเคพ
Please send me remedy
Thanks n awa

Hello Swasthi,
This looks delicious. Can I substitute some of the besan with almond flour? How much can I use? How does the recipe change? Thank you

Yes

Iโ€™m confused 220 grams is not 2 cups the measurements in cups are not right

5 stars
Hi Swasthi! I am SO happy to find your website. I can’t buy Indian sweets easily where I live so it is especially exciting to find step-by-step instructions for them. I tried this recipe tonight (while listening to 1990’s Bollywood music) and I think I did most of it right but it was dry and crumbly so I know I overcooked it. Do you think that I overcooked the sugar or the besan or both? It still tastes great and I can’t wait to try it again (and again) until I get it right.
Thanks again!
Emily

5 stars
I followed the recipe to the T. Cooled sugar syrup for 10 mins and then used it. Turned out beautiful and set under 5 to 6 mins. Tastes delicious too. Thank you.

I followed all the steps carefully but the barfi did not set. After mixing the sugar syrup my mixture was dry and grainy and not flowing at all. Seemed very dry compared to your picture. Also the sugar syrup turned milky in color when it cool down to slightly hot. What went wrong

Can I replace sugar with jaggery powder? If yes how much, process and consistency? Thank you

5 stars
Hi,
I followed the recipe to the T and it came out amazing. Thank you.

5 stars
Hello Swasthi,
I use your blog for all my cooking needs. I can’t tell you how much my family loves the food I make following your recipes. Thank you very much all the recipes. I hope to try this soon for diwali. Happy Diwali to all of you.