Besan ka halwa (also spelled as halva) or North Indian Punjabi style halwa is a delicious Indian style gluten free dessert made using chickpea flour or besan flour (garbanzo beans flour) which is one of the most simple and easy halwa (fudge kind of Indian sweet) that you can make quickly in one pot or pan with very few ingredients.
This is an easy and simple recipe for besan ka halwa without milk and its very delicious even without using milk.
Chickpea flour is naturally gluten free and its protein rich as well, so desserts made using chickpea flour, like this chickpea flour halwa (besan ka halwa), make great naturally gluten free desserts as well!
In South India, chickpea flour or besan flour is known as kadala maavu or kadalai mavu.
So this dish is also known as kadalai maavu halwa in South India.
This is basically the chana gram flour that you can find in stores, which can be used to make the halwa.
What Is Besan Ka Halwa?
Halwa is a popular Indian dessert or Indian sweet which resembles the texture of fudge or puddings.
Halwa is made using different ingredients and there are many popular Indian style halwa recipes.
The most common ingredients in halwa are usually flour, sugar and ghee along with other ingredients depending on the recipe.
Halwa made using besan flour or chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour) is known as besan ka halwa and its one of the most delicious, easy gluten free Indian desserts.
Sooji ka halwa using sooji flour is another very easy and popular halwa recipe from India, but personally I love besan ka halwa more than sooji ka halwa, since I feel it has the best texture and its even more easy to prepare.
Besan ka halwa is kind of nutritious as well since it uses the protein rich besan flour to make the halwa
This besan ka halwa or chickpea flour halwa using gluten free chickpea flour, ghee and few other ingredients recipe is one of the most easy way to prepare the halwa, as this is a one pot dessert made quickly and easily.
Even you can find different variations for the halwa recipe, based on different regions in India and also personal preferences, and this is a very easy besan ka halwa recipe with very few ingredients which even beginners trying to learn to make Indian desserts can do easily.
As I told, this is a gluten free chickpea flour fudge like dessert, popularly known as besan ka halwa in hindi language.
Can You Make Halwa Without Milk?
Yes, you can make halwa without milk or with milk. It is a personal preference most of the times and you need to follow the recipe instructions to make the perfect halwa whether it uses milk or not.
That is because, each halwa recipe is different and halwa making can get complicated sometimes if you do not follow the right ingredients and instructions.
As I mentioned, you can make besan ka halwa without milk or using milk and that is your preference.
If you want it more calorie rich and dense, you can use milk instead of water (however, in this recipe I recommend sticking with water to make the easy besan ka halwa perfectly).
This is an easy besan ka halwa recipe without milk and so it has a dark brown color once its cooked.
You may also use brown sugar instead of white sugar if you wish.
Besan ka halwa made in a different way (not this recipe, its a variation) is used as one of the best natural remedies for cold and cough.
When mixed with turmeric, pepper powder etc (we do not make it like that here since we want a sweet dessert), because of the medicinal properties of turmeric, black pepper etc and also because chickpea flour is good for health and naturally gluten free as well.
How To Serve Besan Ka Halwa (Halva)?
The best way to serve or enjoy this besan ka halwa is to enjoy it while its still warm, as the halwa just melts in your mouth while its still warm and has a smooth texture.
You can slice the this halwa in pieces if you cool it for a while and you can slice it even better if you refrigerate the halwa (you can store this in refrigerator for about a week), but I recommend warming the cold halwa before serving (microwave for 30 seconds) as the warm halwa tastes the best!
So here is how you can easily and quickly make a delicious halwa using chickpea flour following this easy chickpea floura halwa recipe.
Halwa or halva is a popular dessert or sweet made during festivals in India and in many places halwa is served along with other foods including other savory snacks or even breakfast.
Halva makes a wonderful dessert with dinner or breakfast or snack when served with Indian breads like poori or luchi poori.
How To Make Besan Ka Halwa (Gluten Free Indian Chickpea Flour Dessert)?
To make this easy and delicious besan ka halwa, we use the following ingredients. This easy besan ka halwa dessert is made without milk and its totally delicious.
Ingredients for besan ka halwa (Without Milk)
1 cup besan flour (chickpea flour)
½ cup ghee
2 teaspoons extra ghee
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon chopped nuts optional
Steps To Follow (The Process)
Sieve the besan flour (chickpea flour), make sure there is no lumps, keep it aside.
Heat ½ cup of ghee in a pan and add the sieved besan flour.
Keep in low heat and mix the flour very well with the ghee, if any lumps are formed you can break them using a good quality spatula, this is important since we need a smooth texture for the halwa.
Roast the mixture in low heat for few minutes (you need to keep stirring) or until the mixture starts to turn color. The flour can quickly burn so if you think its getting roasted fast, you may switch off the stove and give a little time to cool down the mixture a little.
Once the mixture is roasted, add the cardamom powder and mix well.
Add the water, mix well (break any lumps that may form using the spatula) and cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the flour is cooked well and the water is almost absorbed.
Add the sugar, mix well and cook in low heat (while stirring) for another 2 minutes or until the mixture starts leaving from the sides of the pan.
Add one teaspoon of ghee and cook for another 1 minute, stirring frequently.
After one minute, add the next spoon of ghee also and cook for another 1 more minute. Now the delicious and easy besan ki halwa is ready, though you may cook for more time if you wish to reach your preferred consistency.
Transfer the halwa to a serving dish, garnish with chopped nuts, serve hot or warm! You may also refrigerate the halwa and serve it later as you wish.
More Easy Indian Dessert Recipes:
easy sooji halwa recipe (without milk)
semiya payasam (seviyan kheer)
semolina yogurt cake (eggless)
eggless mango cake with semolina flour
How To Store Besan Ka Halwa (Halva)?
Since we make this using ghee and without using milk, this besan ka halwa can be easily stored in refrigerated for a few days.
If you do not serve this the same day, transfer the halwa to air tight containers and store in refrigerator for about a week.
I recommend slightly warming up the halwa before serving, though it tastes delicious when served chilled too.
Below you can get the recipe for chickpea flour halwa in detail.
Besan Ka Halwa, How To Make Indian Style Chickpea Flour Halwa At Home
Ingredients
- 1 cup besan flour (chickpea flour)
- ½ cup ghee
- 2 teaspoons extra ghee
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Sieve the besan flour (chickpea flour), make sure there is no lumps, keep it aside.
- Heat ½ cup of ghee in a pan and add the sieved besan flour.
- Keep in low heat and mix the flour very well with the ghee, if any lumps are formed you can break them using a good quality spatula, this is important since we need a smooth texture for the halwa.
- Roast the mixture in low heat for few minutes (you need to keep stirring) until the mixture starts to turn color. Roasting the flour is so important or the halwa won't taste good. Roasting the besan flour for halwa can take a few minutes and the time may depend on the flour you use. For me, it took around 8 to 10 minutes in low heat. Tip: The flour can quickly burn so if you think its changing colors too fast before its roasted, you may switch off the stove and give a little time to cool down the mixture a little while you keep stirring the mixture, and then roast again in low heat until the flour is roasted enough.
- Once the flour mixture is roasted, add the cardamom powder and mix well.
- Add the water, mix well (break any lumps that may form using the spatula) and cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the flour is cooked well and the water is almost absorbed.
- Add the sugar, mix well and cook in low heat (while stirring) for another 2 minutes or until the mixture starts leaving from the sides of the pan.
- Add one teaspoon of ghee and cook for another 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- After one minute, add the next spoon of ghee also and cook for another 1 more minute. Now the delicious and easy besan ki halwa is ready, though you may cook for more time if you wish to reach your preferred consistency.
- Transfer the halwa to a serving dish, garnish with chopped nuts, serve hot or warm! You may also refrigerate the halwa and serve it later as you wish.
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