Mohanthal/Chickpeaflour Fudge

Mohanthal/Chickpeaflour Fudge is a traditional and popular sweet made to celebrate any festival or occasion and is from Gujarat and Rajasthan (Western part of India). It is made by roasting chickpea flour and ghee together and than adding sugar syrup to it. It has melt in mouth and has coarse texture. It is very rich in flavor and addition of cardamom , saffron and rose water further enhances its aroma and taste. The dish is garnished with slivered almonds and pistachio to make it rich.

Course Dessert, festivalfood, sweet

Cuisine Gujarati, Indian, Rajasthani

Keyword almond, besan, chichpeaflour, dessert, diwali, dusshera, festivalfood, ghee, glutenfree, holi, indiansweet, janmashthami, kids, meltinmouth, pistachio, sugarsyrup, Sweet, traditional, wintersweet

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings pieces

Calories 191kcal

Equipment

heavy bottom pan
spatula
sieve
bowl
measuring cup
measuring spoon
pot
spoon
Baking tray

Ingredients

2 cup chickpea flour besan
3 tbsp ghee melted, clarified butter
3 tbsp milk
1 cup ghee melted, clarified butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tsp cardamom powder elaichi powder
1 tsp saffron strands kesar
1 tbsp rose water gulabjal, optional
8 almond slivered
8 pistachio slivered
1/2 tsp ghee for greasing tray

Instructions

Dhabo Devo (Add milk, ghee, to flour, press and sieve)

Take chickpea flour (besan) in a bowl. Add melted ghee in it.
Add milk in it and mix.
Mix well with the help of your fingertips till everything is mixed well.
Gently press the mixture and cover with lid and keep it aside for 30 minutes. (This process is known as "dhabo devo'". It helps to make flour crumbly and coarse).
After 30 minutes take a big hole sieve as shown.
Put the pressed mixture into the sieve and break down the big lumps with your hands and sieve the mixture by pressing in between. (For making it easier you can also grind the mixture into a mixture grinder).
The sieved mixture will look grainy and coarse as shown.

Roasting chickpea flour

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom kadhai or pan on high heat.
Lower the heat and add the sieved chickpea flour mixture.
Mix the mixture well till entire ghee is absorbed keeping on low heat.
Now stir continuously and cook the mixture on medium heat. After five minutes, the mixture will start to get aromatic.
After couple of minutes the mixture will become light and frothy.
It will start to become dark and aromatic.
Switch off the heat and keep it aside to cool.

Sugar Syrup

In the meanwhile put sugar and water in a pot to heat.
Mix well and cook on high heat for couple of minutes.
Lower the flame and add cardamom powder, saffron and rose water. Mix well.
Cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes stirring in between.
The syrup will get 1.5 string consistency.
To check the consistency of sugar syrup, remove in a plate and it will become thick and not move.
Or put the syrup in between your finger tips and check it by pressing the fingers, you will see a thick string formed . (if your sugar syrup cooks more than this then remove from the heat and add 2 tbsp of water to it.). Once the sugar syrup has reached 1.5 string consistency immediately remove from the heat to avoid from further cooking. Keep it aside.

Mix roasted flour and sugar syrup

Now add the prepared sugar syrup to the cooled chickpea flour mixture.
Mix well till all the sugar syrup is nicely absorbed and mixture is cooled.
The ghee will come up. (If the mixture becomes crumbly or thick add around 2-3 tbsp of milk and it will become smooth to pour in a tray).
Pour the mixture in a greased tray. Press it well. Some of the ghee will float on top.
I have removed some ghee from the top.
Garnish the mohanthal with slivered almonds and pistachio. Press them well.
Let the mohanthal set for 3-4 hours. The ghee will be absorbed nicely. Once the mohanthal is set cut it into equal pieces and remove and serve.
Remove the mohanthal in a serving plate and serve. Or it can be stored for 15 days in an airtight container.

Nutrition