Mohanthal (Besan Fudge)

Mohanthal is a classic Gujarati sweet made from coarsely ground chickpea flour, ghee, and sugar, set into thick slabs and cut into squares. The flour gets slow-roasted in ghee until it smells nutty and turns a warm amber, and that roasting is really the heart of the whole thing. Get that step right and the rest practically takes care of itself. The finished pieces are dense and a little grainy in the best possible way, fragrant with cardamom and saffron, and studded with pistachios and almonds. It keeps well at room temperature for several days, so you can make it ahead when you like.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Coarse besan (chickpea flour), sifted
  • 1/2 cup Ghee
  • 3 tbsp Whole milk, warm
  • 3/4 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 6 pods Green cardamom, seeds removed and finely ground
  • a generous pinch Saffron strands
  • 2 tbsp Raw pistachios, thinly sliced or roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp Raw almonds, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Line your 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on two sides so you can lift the slab out later. Set it aside somewhere nearby.
  2. Bloom the saffron: combine a generous pinch of saffron strands with 3 tbsp warm whole milk in a small bowl. Give it a gentle stir and leave it to steep while you work on the flour. The milk will turn a lovely yellow-orange after about 10 minutes.
  3. Sift 1 cup (100 g) coarse besan into a bowl to break up any lumps. In a small saucepan or the microwave, warm 3 tbsp (45 ml) of the ghee from your total 1/2 cup (110 g). Pour the warm ghee over the sifted besan and mix it in with your fingers or a spoon until the flour looks like damp, coarse crumbs. This is called the 'mawa' step, it gives the finished fudge that slightly crumbly, dense texture. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
  4. While the besan rests, prepare your nuts. Thinly slice 2 tbsp (18 g) raw pistachios and 2 tbsp (18 g) raw almonds. Set them aside for the topping.
  5. Also during that rest, crack open 6 green cardamom pods, pick out the seeds, and grind them as finely as you can using a mortar and pestle or the flat of a knife. Set the ground cardamom aside.
  6. When the 15-minute rest is up, heat a wide, heavy-bottomed pan or kadai over medium-low heat. Add the remaining ghee (the total was 1/2 cup / 110 g, you used about 3 tbsp earlier, so add the rest now, roughly 5 to 6 tbsp). Once the ghee melts and shimmers, add the pre-ghee'd besan mixture to the pan.
  7. Now comes the most important part: roast the besan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep going for 18 to 22 minutes. At first it will look pale and smell raw. After about 10 minutes the colour shifts to a warm honey-gold. By 18 minutes the whole kitchen smells nutty and toasty, the mixture looks a deeper amber, and if you press a pinch between your fingers it feels dry and sandy rather than wet. That's when it's ready. Pull the pan off the heat immediately to stop it cooking further.
  8. While the roasted besan cools slightly off the heat (give it 5 minutes), make the sugar syrup. In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar and 1/4 cup (60 ml) water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once boiling, stop stirring and let it cook until it reaches one-string consistency: dip a clean spoon into the syrup, let it cool for a second, then press a drop between your thumb and index finger and pull them apart slowly. If a single thin thread stretches and holds before breaking, it's ready. This takes about 5 to 6 minutes of boiling. Remove from heat immediately.
  9. Stir the saffron milk (the golden steeped mixture from the small bowl) into the hot sugar syrup. Then stir in the ground cardamom from the 6 pods. Pour this fragrant syrup into the pan with the roasted besan.
  10. Work quickly now, mix the syrup into the besan vigorously. It will look a little lumpy and uneven at first. Keep stirring and folding for about 2 minutes. The mixture thickens as you work it and starts pulling away from the sides of the pan. That's your cue to stop.
  11. Quickly scrape the mixture into your lined baking dish. Use the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to press it into an even layer about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Don't stress if the surface looks a little rough. Work fast because it sets up as it cools.
  12. Scatter the sliced 2 tbsp (18 g) pistachios and 2 tbsp (18 g) almonds evenly over the surface. Press them gently so they stick.
  13. Leave the tray to cool at room temperature for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour until completely firm. Don't rush this into the fridge, room temperature setting gives a better texture. Once firm, lift the slab out using the parchment overhang, place it on a cutting board, and cut into squares or diamonds with a sharp knife.