Recipe- Gujarati Style Mouthwatering Mohanthal

Mohanthal is a traditional Gujarati and Rajasthani sweet made with besan (gram flour). This rich and decadent mithai has a soft, melt-in-mouth yet grainy texture. Crunchy bits of crumbled besan in a soft base are what sets it apart from besan barfi. 'Mohan' is another name of Lord Krishna and thal means a plate, and this sweet is considered Krishna's favourite. This dish is an integral part of festivals like Janmashtami, Navratri, and Diwali.

Ingredients

For the besan mixture

2 cups besan (gram flour)
1 tablespoon 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

Method

Prepping The Besan

- Take besan, 1 tablespoon 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 the 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 to 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.