love indian desserts? With This Handy Guide, Making Mohanthal Has Never Been Easier

Mohanthal is an Indian dessert made primarily with besan, ghee and sugar, and some flavorings. It has a grainy texture and melts in the mouth. It's popularly enjoyed during Diwali and other festivals and gatherings. Here’s a detailed, step by step breakdown to make this delicious dessert yourself.

Ingredients:

• 400 g + 1-2 teaspoons besan
• 1 1/2 tablespoon ghee melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoon milk
• 120 g + 2 tablespoons ghee, melted
• 120 ml milk
• 240 g granulated white sugar
• 170 ml water
• 2 tablespoons saffron water - 2 tablespoons warm water mixed with generous pinch of saffron strands - let it sit for 5 minutes before using
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder

Directions:

In a large bowl, add the besan, ghee and milk. Mix well with your hands. Rub the mixture between your palms, warming them, and rubbing it all well together. This ensures that the mixture is incorporated evenly and that it stays coarse in texture. Then place a sieve on another bowl and sift the mixture through it. If there are any bits that are hard to get through, pulse them in the grinder for a few minutes and then put them through the sieve. Cover the mixture and set aside for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, add ghee to a pan and heat on medium heat. Then add the besan mixture to it. Stir continuously so that it doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. Keep roasting in this way till it reaches a grainy texture. The mixture will become loose and airy. Keep roasting till it turns brown or caramel in color. After about 10 minutes, it should be ready.

Now reduce the heat to low and add milk to the mixture. Add the milk slowly, a little at a time, and stir continuously as you do. All the milk will eventually get absorbed. Keep stirring. Once all the milk is absorbed, turn off the heat but continue to stir the besan mixture. Since the pan is hot, it will continue cooking. Once the pan cools, set aside.

In a pan, add water and sugar on medium heat. Once it starts to boil, add saffron water to the mixture. To make saffron water, take two spoons of warm water and add a generous pinch of saffron strands to it. It will take on a bright orange color. Add this saffron water and cardamom powder to the sugar syrup. The sugar will eventually dissolve completely. Lower the heat but keep stirring. The syrup should reach a one-string consistency. This means that when the index finger is dipped in the syrup and then the thumb is placed on it and pulled apart, the syrup forms a string between the fingers.

Now add the sugar syrup to the cooled besan mixture and cook on low heat. Mix it thoroughly together. The mixture should start to thicken.

Once it has thickened a bit, turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to a tray. Level it with a spatula or the back of a small steel bowl. Add garnishes like nuts and varak if you prefer. Let it set for 6 hours or in the fridge overnight. Once set, cut into squares and enjoy.

Notes, tips and tricks:

Make sure that the besan you use is coarse in texture. We don't want very fine powder. This coarseness is important because it ensures that the texture of the final mohanthal is grainy, which makes it very satisfying to eat.

The roasting of the besan requires extra attention on your part. It has to be roasted just right. If it's still raw it will spoil the taste of the mohanthal. And if you roast it too much it might burn. So keep a sharp eye on it, stir continuously, and never leave it unattended.

Once the besan is mixed with the milk and ghee, don't forget to sift the mixture. If you don't sift it but try to go ahead as is, there might be lumps in the mixture, which will then transfer to the final mohanthal.

After roasting the besan, give it time to cool down completely before you add the sugar syrup to it. If you add the syrup while the mixture is still hot, there’s a chance that it will crumble.