Mohanthal is a traditional dessert from Indian state of Gujarat. It is basically a delectable, melt in mouth besan (chickpea) fudge. Mohanthal is rich in calories and is made during special occasions and festivals like Janmashtami, Navratri and Diwali. Mohan is one of the names of Lord Krishna, and as it is a preferred offering to him, hence the name of the dish. This fudge is a perfect blend of ghee roasted chickpea flour, khoya (milk solids) and sugar. It is further topped with loads of dry fruits and flavored with green cardamom.
Mohanthal can be made at home and trust me, it is far more better than the store bought ones as we know what exactly is going into it. i make the Khoya also at home. During festive season there are more chances of adulteration so it is best to make milk based sweets at home. The crucial step in making Mohanthal is the sugar syrup consistency. We need to wait patiently until the sugar syrup attains a two string consistency. If you add the syrup before that stage, your fudge will not set. Also the besan has to be roasted in ghee on a low flame , while continuously stirring till it is aromatic.
Video Recipe for Mohanthal
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves:8
Ingredients:
2. Now sieve the crumbled flour using a soup strainer . Use the back of a spoon or your fingers to press the flour against the strainer.
3. Next in a sauce pan take 1 cup sugar and little more than 1/2 cup water and heat it on a low to medium flame. Keep stirring until all the sugar is dissolved in the water. Now allow the syrup to boil and it reaches a 2 string consistency. Keep stirring the sugar syrup occasionally.
4. While the sugar syrup is getting ready, we will roast the flour. For that in another non stick wok add remaining ghee and heat it. Add the sieved flour to the ghee and roast it on low to medium flame while continuously stirring. Keep roasting the mix , until it becomes aromatic, change in color to golden from yellow and becomes light.
5. Now add the grated or crumbled Khoya to the roasted flour and 1/4 cup milk and blend well. Now check the sugar syrup for 2 string consistency. For that take one drop of syrup on the thumb and try to pull it with the index finger, you should be able to get 2 strings. Other method is to take a drop of sugar syrup and drop it in a bowl of water. Now try to gather the syrup drop, it should come together as a ball, the desired consistency is attained.
7. With a greased back of bowl press and flatten the fudge. Garnish it with slivered almonds and pistachio press again and set the fudge aside for setting. Cut the fudge into squares or into desired shape while still hot. Allow the mohanthal to cool down completely before separating out the pieces. Transfer the pieces of mohanthal in an air tight container until serving time.
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves:8
Ingredients:
- 1 cup besan / chickpea flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 /2 cup Khoya ( click here for link to Homemade Khoya recipe)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 cup ghee
- 2 tablespoon almond slivers
- 2 tablespoon pistachio slivers
- 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder
- Few Saffron strands
Method:
- Take chickpea flour in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoon warm milk and 2 tablespoon warm ghee to it and mix well. It should resemble bread crumbs and you should be able to bind the flour with your fist.
2. Now sieve the crumbled flour using a soup strainer . Use the back of a spoon or your fingers to press the flour against the strainer.
3. Next in a sauce pan take 1 cup sugar and little more than 1/2 cup water and heat it on a low to medium flame. Keep stirring until all the sugar is dissolved in the water. Now allow the syrup to boil and it reaches a 2 string consistency. Keep stirring the sugar syrup occasionally.
4. While the sugar syrup is getting ready, we will roast the flour. For that in another non stick wok add remaining ghee and heat it. Add the sieved flour to the ghee and roast it on low to medium flame while continuously stirring. Keep roasting the mix , until it becomes aromatic, change in color to golden from yellow and becomes light.
5. Now add the grated or crumbled Khoya to the roasted flour and 1/4 cup milk and blend well. Now check the sugar syrup for 2 string consistency. For that take one drop of syrup on the thumb and try to pull it with the index finger, you should be able to get 2 strings. Other method is to take a drop of sugar syrup and drop it in a bowl of water. Now try to gather the syrup drop, it should come together as a ball, the desired consistency is attained.
6. Carefully add the sugar syrup to the roasted mix. Stir well so that the syrup is distributed evenly . Cook the mix on low flame for another 2-3 minutes. Add the cardamom powder and mix. By now the fudge mixture would have started leaving the sides of the wok. Immediately put off the flame and pour the mix in a greased tray.
7. With a greased back of bowl press and flatten the fudge. Garnish it with slivered almonds and pistachio press again and set the fudge aside for setting. Cut the fudge into squares or into desired shape while still hot. Allow the mohanthal to cool down completely before separating out the pieces. Transfer the pieces of mohanthal in an air tight container until serving time.
Recipe Notes:
- Do not reduce the amount of ghee if you are looking for the authentic taste of Mohanthal
- Mohanthal stays good at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Sieving the crumbled flour gives the desired texture to the fudge so do not skip that step.
- Be patient while roasting the flour at low flame and also while making the 2 string sugar consistency.
- Few saffron strands may be added to mohanthal.
I hope you would like this post . If you ever try this recipe, do share your feedback with us in the comment section below.
If you are looking for more janmashtami special recipes, do check out my posts on Dried Figs, Dates and Nuts roll, Instant Peanut Coconut Ladoo, Makhane Ki Kheer, Dhaniya Panjiri , Gopalkala, Lauki Ki Barfi
For similar recipes, do check the following posts from my blog
