Ingredients
Sugar syrup
- ¾ cup (150g) sugar
- ¼ cup water
Burfi
- 1 cup (100g) besan (chickpea flour / gram flour)
- ½ cup (110g) ghee
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
Garnish
- 1 tbsp slivered pistachios
Instructions
Make the syrup
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Keep warm on low heat — the syrup must be hot when it meets the roasted besan. Cold syrup hitting hot besan causes lumps that are nearly impossible to stir out.
Roast the besan
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat.
- Add besan all at once and stir continuously. The mixture will look clumpy at first, then loosen as the ghee works through it.
- Keep stirring on medium-low for 15–20 minutes. Watch the color shift from pale yellow to golden to deep amber. The smell goes from raw and floury to unmistakably nutty — that's the cue you're close. Stop at deep amber; if dark brown patches appear, the heat is too high. See Besan Halwa for the full roasting color guide.
Cook
- Reduce heat to low. Pour the hot sugar syrup into the roasted besan carefully — it will sizzle aggressively. Stir immediately and continuously to prevent lumps.
- Increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5–7 minutes. The mixture needs to be noticeably thicker than besan halwa — it should pull cleanly from the sides and base of the pan and hold its shape when a spoonful is dropped on a cold plate.
- Stir in cardamom and remove from heat.
Set and cut
- Pour into a ghee-greased tray and spread evenly to about 1.5cm thickness. The extra thickness compared to milk burfi is intentional — besan burfi is denser and cuts more cleanly when slightly thicker.
- Scatter slivered pistachios over the top, press in lightly.
- Cool completely before cutting — at least 2 hours at room temperature, or 30 minutes in the fridge to speed things up.
- Cut into squares or diamonds with a sharp knife.
Storage
- Room temperature: Airtight container for up to 1 week. The ghee acts as a natural preservative.
- Fridge: Up to 2–3 weeks.
Variations
- Cashew version: Fold in 2 tbsp finely chopped cashews just before pouring into the tray. Adds texture and richness.
- Jaggery version: Replace sugar with equal weight of finely grated jaggery. Make the syrup the same way. The flavor is more complex and slightly caramel-like.
- Two-tone: Divide the finished mixture and add a pinch of saffron milk to one half. Layer plain first, saffron on top.
Notes
- The roasting is the same process as besan halwa — read those notes if this is your first time roasting besan. Color and smell are your guides; the clock is unreliable.
- The burfi needs to be thicker and more set in the pan than halwa. If it looks like halwa consistency, keep cooking.
- Besan burfi is firmer than milk burfi and cuts with crisper edges. This is by design.
Added Oct 6, 2026 · Updated Oct 6, 2026