Healthy Besan Barfi Recipe: The Perfect Homemade Mithai For The Festive Season

When festive cravings strike, homemade sweets often feel far more comforting than anything bought from a store. If you're looking for a mithai that combines traditional flavours with wholesome ingredients, food influencer Aruna Vijay's Healthy Besan Barfi recipe is worth adding to your festive menu.

Made with roasted chana, makhana, nuts, khoya and jaggery, this barfi delivers rich flavour and texture while keeping the ingredient list simple and nourishing. The recipe is easy to prepare and makes for a delightful treat during festive celebrations.

Ingredient Spotlight:

The star ingredients in this recipe are roasted chana and makhana, which create a unique base for the barfi. Almond and cashew powder add richness, while unsweetened khoya lends a traditional mithai-like taste and texture.

Instead of refined sugar, the recipe relies on jaggery syrup for sweetness. Fragrant additions like saffron, cardamom and nutmeg enhance the flavour profile and give the sweet a festive touch.

For garnishing, chopped pistachios, almonds and edible silver leaves elevate both the appearance and taste of the final dish.

Preparing The Base:

The process begins by roasting chana and makhana until they become crisp and aromatic. Once cooled, they are coarsely ground together.

In a separate pan, ghee is heated and the chana-makhana mixture is lightly roasted along with almond powder, cashew powder, khoya, saffron, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. This step helps all the flavours blend together while creating a rich and nutty aroma.

Making The Jaggery Syrup:

The sweetness comes from a simple jaggery syrup prepared with jaggery, water and ghee. The ingredients are cooked together until the jaggery melts completely and forms a slightly thick syrup.

The syrup is then gradually added to the roasted mixture. Everything is cooked together until the mixture thickens and starts coming together into a cohesive mass.

Setting The Barfi:

Once ready, the mixture is transferred to a greased tray and spread evenly while still warm. Chopped pistachios and almonds are sprinkled on top and gently pressed into the surface. A layer of edible silver leaves adds the finishing touch.

After cooling completely, the barfi is cut into neat squares and served.

Tips For Best Results:

Avoid over-roasting the chana and makhana, as it can alter the flavour. Add the jaggery syrup gradually and keep mixing until the mixture binds well. Most importantly, spread the mixture into the tray while warm, which helps achieve clean slices and a perfectly set barfi.

Combining festive flavours with wholesome ingredients, this Healthy Besan Barfi is a simple homemade mithai that's perfect for sharing with family and friends.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aruna Vijay (@aruna_vijay_masterchef)