Mohanthal

5 from 29 votes

Mohanthal is a traditional sweet hailing from Gujarat and Rajasthan. The soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture of this rich and decadent mithai is complemented by the slightly grainy crunch of crumbled besan, setting it apart from besan barfi. It is said that this sweet is a favorite of Lord Krishna, hence the name "Mohan," which means "charming" or "captivating" in Sanskrit. Mohan thal is perfect for the festive season of Janmashtami, Navratri, or Diwali.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Resting Time30

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Hindu, Vegetarian

Servings: to 25 pieces

Calories: 215kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

Ingredients

For the besan mixture:

2 cups besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
1 tablespoon ghee (use store-bought or homemade ghee)
2 tablespoon milk

Other ingredients:

1¼ cup ghee
¾ cup milk powder
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
½ teaspoon saffron
Edible silver foil chandi ka varq (optional)

For the sugar syrup:

1 cup sugar see notes
⅔ cup water

Instructions

Prepping the besan:

Take besan, 1 tablespoon of ghee, and 2 tablespoons of milk in a large pan. Mix well and crumble the besan well using your fingers.
Crumble for 4-5 minutes until the besan becomes grainy. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
Once the besan has rested, pass it through a sieve to remove any big lumps. Press the mixture using the back of a spoon to get as much mixture as possible. Set it aside.

Frying besan:

In a large pan or kadhai, heat 1¼ cup ghee until it is fully melted
Once the ghee melts, turn the heat to low and add the besan mixture.
Fry the besan on low heat for 15-18 minutes.
Continue stirring the mixture continuously. The mixture will initially become frothy, then get a honeycomb texture and slowly turn light golden.
Turn off the heat and continue stirring for another 3-4 minutes. Set it aside to cool down.

Making sugar syrup:

In another pan, take sugar and water. Place it on medium heat.
Stir the mixture for one minute or until the sugar melts.
Once the sugar melts, do not stir. Let the syrup boil until it reaches one string consistency (about 10-12 minutes).

Setting Mohan thal:

Line or grease a 20 cm X 20 cm tray or a 30 cm round thali.
Once the besan cools, add milk powder, cardamom powder, and saffron to it.
Mix well to fully incorporate the milk powder, making sure there are no lumps.
Once the sugar syrup reaches one-string consistency, carefully pour it into the besan.
Stir and mix until the whole mixture comes together.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan/thali and level it using a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Allow it to set completely at room temperature. This may take 3-4 hours. Alternatively, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
Once the mohan thal is set, top it with silver foil (chandi ka vark) and cut it into squares.

Notes

I have used 1 cup of sugar in this recipe, which gives perfect sweetness to our liking. If you want a sweeter mohanthal, use 1½ cups of sugar and 1 cup of water to make the syrup.

It is important to crumble the besan well after adding milk and ghee (see how to prepare besan in step-by-step instructions). Use your fingers to crumble or take besan between your two palms and rub it well. Do this for at least five minutes. This is the key to getting the grainy texture of Mohan thal. If you skip it, you will have a besan burfi texture.

Do not skip sifting the crumbled besan. We don't want to have any lumps in it.

Do not stop stirring the besan. The mixture will initially become frothy, then get a honeycomb texture and slowly turn light golden. It is important to keep stirring throughout the process.

See the tips section above for more tips on making perfect Mohan thal.

Nutrition