Besan Halwa

Recipe courtesy Beyond Celiac Ambassador Annika Dhariwal, who runs the blog Gluten-Free Jio

Besan is the Hindi word for gram flour. Also known as garbanzo flour or chickpea flour, besan is made from ground chickpeas, which are naturally gluten-free.

This recipe is for a deliciously rich Indian dessert that’s full of flavor. Find more recipes from Annika on her website.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup besan (gram flour)
• ½ cup ghee
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups water, warm
• 2 pinches saffron soaked in 2 Tablespoons warm milk
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 Tablespoons pistachio slivers
• 2 Tablespoons almond slivers

Directions:

1. Sieve the besan to a fine flour. Make sure that there are no lumps in the flour.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom steel pan.
3. Once the ghee is hot, lower the heat to medium and add besan to it.
4. Take a heavy flat spatula and start roasting the besan in ghee. After 2 minutes, reduce the heat to low.
5. Stir and roast the besan in ghee on low heat for about 15 minutes.
6. Roast the besan until it starts separating from the ghee. At that point, begin to slowly add 2 cups of warm water to the pan, stirring until the water is absorbed.
7. When the water is absorbed, add the sugar, cardamom and saffron soaked in milk. Keep stirring continuously.
8. Switch off the heat when you see the desired consistency (some prefer it a bit smoother, like a paste, and others with more substance and shape) and let it stand for 2-3 minutes.
9. Garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds and serve warm.