It’s a custom to serve Besan burfi during marriages in Mangalore, India. Ladoo and Besan burfi that’s called KhaDee are packed and handed to the guests. Children look forward to all these sweets with enthusiasm. Earlier, sweets were prepared at home for marriages. Big pandals/tent would be set up; 3-4 cooks with their head chef would come few days ahead of the marriage. They would arrange the big stones that are generally used for construction and set up the fire. The guests from far away places arrive and those sweets aroma would bring a marriage look to the house. Fond memories of childhood hmmm…

 

I make khadee for Diwali and whenever we feel like having it. Its my mom’s recipe. I first tried it when my son was a baby. Then I used to do  it for Diwali as we lived away from my native place.

Ingredients

2 cups Besan/Gram flour

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Ghee/ Clarified butter

3/4 cup Water (just enough to soak the sugar)

¼ cup Cashew nuts coarsely chopped

3 pods of Cardamom powdered

(if you like you can garnish on top with pista chopped, I haven’t)

 

Yield- 35 pieces

 

Method

 

1. Keep a tray ready with ghee smeared on it.
2. Sieve Besan/gram flour.
3. Take a thick bottom kadai or nonstick wok and roast Besan with half of the ghee on a low flame( you can use microwave for roasting too. Keep stirring after a minute for 3-4 minutes. Then use stove to avoid burning the flour)
4. The besan will turn light brown and you will get the aroma of the besan. It may take 10-15 minutes if you roast it on the stove. Transfer it to a plate. If you leave it in the wok it can get burnt because of the heated wok.
5. In another vessel add sugar and water bring to a boil. When you get 1 thread consistency add powdered cardamom( you can put a drop on a plate and test with the tip of the fingers.  You should get just one thread when you pull fingers apart. If you get 2 thread add water to the syrup)
6. Mix the sugar syrup with besan,  turn on the heat at medium and stir it fast, so that all the lumps get smoothened. Add Ghee and cashews. In few minutes the mixture starts to solidify( semi solid). Don’t wait till it hardens completely. When it is done if you touch, it won’t stick to your hand( that’s how you test it.). When you reach this stage you have to work fast.
7. Pour it in the greased tray immediately. Use a spoon smeared with ghee to level the mixture if required. I used it for the edges as the tray was bigger.
8. Allow it to cool for an hour then cut into pieces. It may look soft, but in 3-4 hours it becomes hard. You can refrigerate too if you are in a hurry.

 

Notes:

This recipe you get it right after doing couple of times, because if the sugar sits on the stove for long the burfi becomes hard. If you take out the sugar syrup early the burfi becomes too soft. If it becomes too soft you can reheat for few min and put it in the tray. If it is hard heat 2-3 tablespoons of water then add the burfi to it. Once it melts put it in the tray.

Keeping the tray ready is very important, as you don’t get time to do it, once the burfi is done. It should be poured  immediately. Likewise keep the coarsely chopped cashews and cardamom powder ready.

If you don’t like it very sweet you can reduce the sugar to 1 ½ cup.

If you are garnishing with pista, add them on top after pouring into the tray and lightly tap with a spoon so that it sticks to it.