Besan halwa is a delicious Indian sweet made with gram flour, ghee and sugar. My version takes it one step further with the addition of creamy mawa and almond flour. It’s deliciously nutty, aromatic and rich. Perfect for Indian festivals, special occasions, and whenever you want to impress.
Bonus – this recipe can be considered easy and takes less than 30 minutes to make.
Note – This recipe was originally posted on 31 July 2017 but I have updated the post with new photos and content. The recipe remains the same.
Velvety, melt in the mouth and totally yummy! That’s just a few words that popped into my head as I’m writing this post.
Traditionally, besan halwa is made with the addition of sooji (semolina) but instead, I’ve added almond flour. If I had to describe the taste, it’s a cross over between dhilo mohanthal and an earthy badam halwa (I use almond flour to make it) . It works so well too. The besan halwa has even more depth of flavour and is supremely rich.
I’ve prepared it for weekend feasts over the winter months and it has always gone down a treat! What makes this version extra special is that it’s a totally unique take on classic besan halwa – you won’t find flavour combinations like this anywhere else!
The Recipe Details
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
The base of the halwa starts with generous amounts of ghee and gram flour . I like to use homemade ghee that’s made from butter but shop-bought desi ghee (pure ghee) works just as well.
The gram flour needs to be gently roasted with the ghee – this is probably the lengthiest part of the recipe as you have to roast low and slow. Then ground almonds go in. I use store-bought almond flour for ease.
Once that’s all properly roasted, I go in with mawa . Traditionally it isn’t added, but I find that it adds rich smoothness. I make my own mawa at home with milk powder . Then full fat milk and water goes in. I’ve made this recipe with just milk and it ends up being more fluffy. The water gives a velvety smoothness to the halwa and prevents it sticking to your mouth.
For sweetness I use regular white sugar .
For the aromatic spices, I use saffron , freshly grated nutmeg and cardamom powder . I like to grind my own cardamom powder at home .
Garnish it with almond & pistachio slivers .
It’s best served warm in the winter or at room temperature.
Store it in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 1 month.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Badam Besan Halwa
Ingredients
- 250 gram chickpea flour
- 250 gram white sugar
- 200 gram ghee
- 150 gram almond flour
- 150 gram mawa grated
- 300 millilitres milk
- 2 cup water hot or boiling
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg grated or use powder
- pinch saffron
- 2-3 tablespoon pistachio and almond slivers
- edible gold leaf optional
- edible rose petals optional
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed pan, heat ghee until it melts then add the chickpea flour. Keeping the heat low, gently roast the flour.
- You will see the flour gently start to froth and then become smooth. Keep the heat low and keep stirring at all times.
- Within 10-15 minutes, you will see the flour start to darken in colour to golden brown and the flour takes on a roasted smell. Quickly add the almond flour and stir well.
- Add the grated khoya and keep stir the mixture for a minute.
- Pour in the milk and keep stirring the mixture continuously to make sure that it stays smooth. Add in the sugar and hot or boiling water.
- Mix well and keep stirring. You will see the halwa leave the sides of the pan.
- Add saffron, cardamom and nutmeg powder. Add a little more ghee and stir.
- Serve warm garnished with chopped nuts and optionally gold leaf and rose petals.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Badam Besan Halwa
Ingredients
- 250 gram chickpea flour
- 250 gram white sugar
- 200 gram ghee
- 150 gram almond flour
- 150 gram mawa grated
- 300 millilitres milk
- 2 cup water hot or boiling
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg grated or use powder
- pinch saffron
- 2-3 tablespoon pistachio and almond slivers
- edible gold leaf optional
- edible rose petals optional
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed pan, heat ghee until it melts then add the chickpea flour. Keeping the heat low, gently roast the flour.
- You will see the flour gently start to froth and then become smooth. Keep the heat low and keep stirring at all times.
- Within 10-15 minutes, you will see the flour start to darken in colour to golden brown and the flour takes on a roasted smell. Quickly add the almond flour and stir well.
- Add the grated khoya and keep stir the mixture for a minute.
- Pour in the milk and keep stirring the mixture continuously to make sure that it stays smooth. Add in the sugar and hot or boiling water.
- Mix well and keep stirring. You will see the halwa leave the sides of the pan.
- Add saffron, cardamom and nutmeg powder. Add a little more ghee and stir.
- Serve warm garnished with chopped nuts and optionally gold leaf and rose petals.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Air Frying chestnuts is the perfect alternative to roasting them in the oven. In fact, they only need 1 ingredient and 15 minutes cooking time! Air fryer chestnuts have a buttery sweet potato-esque flavour, just like oven roasted, meaning I can never stop at one. Add them to any Thanksgiving and Christmas recipe that calls for cooked chestnuts.
Time to pop on some Michael Bublé!
I love roasting chestnuts at home, it just feels seasonal and a little bit magical! Over the years, I’ve switched from the oven to the air fryer because… it’s faster (often just 15 minutes) and still gives that wonderfully nutty, warm, slightly sweet flavour.
If you’ve ever worried about chestnuts exploding, drying out, or being tricky to peel – I’ve been there too. That’s why I’ve honed this recipe so it’s simple, reliable and festive enough to include in your holiday or winter snack repertoire. I’ve trialled and adapted the oven method from BBC Good Food .
You can use air fryer chestnuts in any dish that calls for cooked chestnuts in both sweet and savoury dishes, like this vegetarian French chestnut soup .
Ingredients notes
Quite possibly the simplest ingredients list!
Fresh chestnuts
The chestnut season runs from October through to December . In the UK, you can find chestnuts in supermarkets and in markets. The chestnuts I have used are from a chestnut tree from my Auntie’s garden in Southeast England.
Here is what to look out for when selecting the best chestnuts:
- choose chestnuts that feel heavy for their size
- they should feel firm
- they will have shiny shells that are dark brown with tanned edges
- there should not be any holes
- the chestnuts shouldn’t rattle when you shake them, if they do, it is likely they are rotten inside
- use chestnuts at their freshest with the longest use by date
- when soaking the chestnuts, the ones that float are rotten. Discard these.
How to prepare chestnuts & tips
Soak chestnuts in warm to hot water for around 10 minutes. Soaking first softens the shells and makes easier to score. Drain the water and dry each thoroughly.
Using a small sharp knife, score a large “X” on the rounded side. Cut through the tough outer shell and inner fuzzy skin but avoid the flesh. Chestnuts can explode if not scored deeply enough as the steam has nowhere to escape.
You can either use a chopping board or score whilst holding the chestnut in your hands. If using a chopping board, place the chestnut flat side down and hold it firmly between your finger and thumb. With the knife, press down firmly to make a small score. Turn the chestnut and repeat to make an “X”.
I like to use cut resistant gloves, but it becomes harder to get a good grip!
Soak chestnuts
Score with an X
Add a splash of water to the air fryer basket. Air fryers can dry out nuts if there’s no humidity — that’s why a splash of water and pre-soak helps. Also make sure you’re roasting at moderate temperature so insides cook before exterior over-dries. This is to prevent the chestnuts drying out and being crumbly.
Place the chestnuts in the air fryer basket and air fry. Try to add similar sized chestnuts as they all cook at different times.
- For small chestnuts – 4-5 minutes
- For medium chestnuts – 6-7 minutes
- For large chestnuts, you may need up to 15 minutes
(These timings are given for fresh chestnuts which were picked from an English chestnut tree and cooked within 3 days of picking).
Place similar sized chestnuts in the air fryer
Air fry until the shells are peeling away and the flesh is exposed. Keep check on the chestnuts as every batch of chestnuts and indeed different air fryers produce different results. Do not leave the air fryer unattended. Check to see if done by peeling one of the chestnuts. If it peels easily, they are done.
To make the peeling process extra easy, immediately place the chestnuts in a towel and wrap for a minute or two. This is to trap steam that will make peeling easier. You can then begin peeling.
Peel away the outer layer and inner skin. Ideally, you want to peel chestnuts whilst they are still warm but cool enough to handle. You will know that the chestnuts are fully cooked when the outer shell begins to peel away and exposes the golden flesh.
To peel, start by peeling back the outer shell and then the inner fuzzy skin. The inner skin may be a little more difficult to remove but you can use a knife to help things along.
Alternatively, cut the chestnuts down the middle and scoop out the soft cooked filling. This is a good trick if you will eventually be pureeing or using in a recipe.
Chestnuts are difficult to peel once cold as the skin sticks! If they do cool down, it is best to pop them back into the air fryer to warm up.
They are now ready to eat or use in your recipes. I love this Chestnut Hummus for festive dinner parties.
Storage
How to store fresh chestnuts:
Fresh chestnuts have a high water content so are quicker to perish. They are best stored unwashed in the fridge in a container until ready to cook. They should stay fresh for around 2 weeks.
How to store cooked chestnuts :
Cooked chestnuts will keep for around 3-4 days in the fridge, stored in an airtight container
Freeze cooked chestnuts:
I have successfully frozen chestnuts for 3 months. I placed them in a freezer bag and squeezed out as much air as possible before sealing. To thaw, allow to defrost at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Air Fryer Chestnuts
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
Ingredients
- 20 chestnuts raw
Instructions
- In a big bowl add hot water and chestnuts. 20 chestnuts
- Leave it aside for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the bowl, pat dry using a clean kitchen towel.
- Make a cross using a sharp knife.
- Preheat the air fryer on 202C for 5 minutes.
- Carefully add the scored chestnuts in the air fryer basket.
- Set the timer for 5 minutes on 202C.
- Keep checking every minute.
- Air fry until the shells are peeling away and the flesh is exposed. Check to see if done by peeling one of the chestnuts. If it peels easily, they are done.
- Quickly place them in the clean kitchen towel, and wrap for a few minutes.
- Peel away the outer layer and inner skin whilst the chestnuts are still warm. They are now ready to eat or use in your recipes.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
