Besan Burfi for Diwali
This November has been interesting to say the least! The month began with a wet and gusty hurricane ! Sandy came in and reminded us of the power and force of nature. All in all, with the festival of lights here, it offers a moment of pause and gratitude. A moment to celebrate the beauty of family. Indian celebrations are never complete without sweets. Such as the Besan Burfi that I am sharing with you today.
Diwali allows time for reflection. Nature allows us to reflect on the eternal power of a force that transcends us all. Reflections of course can only be better with good food. At least that is how I feel.
The Story Behind Besan Burfi
On Thursday, The Journal News ran a Diwali article by me featuring some of my recipes from the Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and others, including this Besan Burfi also spelt Besan Burfee.
Since I tested several recipes for the article, I have been on a sugar eating binge. This burfee is a simpler version of the more traditional besan (chickpea flour) laddoo that my mother-in-law makes. Less time and effort with somewhat similar satisfaction. A large part of the process entails roasting the chickpea flour, which results in a nutty warm inviting smell. It is something my daughter associated with love and home,
Whatever are burfee, burfi and ladoo?
So Indian confectionary has many variations, and shapes. North Indian desserts are in the forms of burfee (also known as burfi) and ladoo. These dessert are made with grains, legumes, nuts and dried fruit.
When shaped into balls, they are called ladoo such as this coconut ladoo. In fact, chubby young children are sometimes called ladoo. When spread out flat or cut into squares or diamonds they are called burfee. Another simple version of a burfee is this saffron and almond burfee.
A classic gluten-free north Indian dessert
Ingredients
- 11/4 cup chickpea flour or besan
- 6 pods of green cardamoms, peeled and ground
- 1/2 cup clarified butter (ghee)
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- Slivered Almonds to garnish
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed skillet, dry roast the besan for about 15 minutes, stirring to ensure even roasting and keeping the flour from burning. At the end of this process the mixture should be fragrant and a few shades darker. This is the only step that takes some time, but is important to ensure that this is done.
- Stir in the powdered cardamom and add in the ghee, stirring constantly to ensure that it melts and the mixture is lump free.
- Stir in the powdered sugar and mix well until it melts.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add in the almond meal and mix well.
- Pour onto a greased plate and let the mixture cool for about an hour, at this point it is quite firm. Cut the mixture into squares and or diamonds and press with slivered almonds to decorate and serve.