Get ready to amaze your family, friends, everyone you know (including yourself!) with some homemade besan burfi using this surprisingly simple recipe!
I am sharing the easiest and fastest way to make besan burfi! This chickpea fudge sets in minutes!
Besan burfi is a sweet and dense dessert made using besan, sugar, water, cardamom and ghee.
I think this might be the easiest dessert recipe on my blog? And that’s crazy because I’m sharing a burfi recipe. Burfi is something I used to dismiss as being too complicated to make myself. Much easier to ask a family member to make it for me (lol).
But having an instant pot makes making besan burfi so simple!
What is besan? What is besan burfi?
Besan, also known as gram flour or chickpea flour, is made from small brown chickpeas (not garbanzo beans). If you remove the brown skin from brown chickpeas, you’re left with yellow chana dal – grind that, and you’ve got besan. Thankfully it’s easy to find besan at your local Indian grocery store or online.
If you’ve never tried besan before, it has a pleasant, nutty, and somewhat earthy flavor. If you’ve never had besan burfi before, you should know that it’s dense, unlike kaju katli, which is more delicate.
Why use besan to make burfi? Because it’s delicious! Besan is an Indian pantry staple. It’s more economical than using nuts or nut flour, making besan burfi an inexpensive dessert.
How does the Instant Pot make this recipe easy?
This type of fudge is traditionally made on the stovetop by boiling sugar to the right temperature/consistency while simultaneously cooking besan in bubbling hot ghee. Once both are ready – you’re supposed to combine them into one pot. I find it difficult to use two stovetop burners at the same time without burning myself (#clumsy), so I’ve managed to come up with an easier and safer, and more reliable method. We’re going to make our sugar syrup (also known as chashni) in the instant pot and then mix in the rest of the ingredients.
This method is similar to my kaju/badam katli (cashew/almond fudge) recipe – only much easier because there’s no need to roll out any dough.
The first step: roast the besan.
Set the besan aside for now. It’s time to make sugar syrup!
Then we stir roasted besan, ghee, and cardamom together and pour it all into a glass dish.
Top with crushed nuts (if you want), then slice and serve. It sets within minutes! It really is as easy as it sounds.
Why roast the besan?
Why do we have to roast besan before making burfi? Because raw chana dal flour is bitter. Roasting besan gets rid of bitterness and is what gives the flour its nutty, toasty flavor.
Unfortunately, there’s no shortcut to roasting the flour. It takes 20 minutes of occasional stirring. I won’t lie, those 20 minutes can feel like an eternity… unless you’re listening to music! Play your favorite tunes, and after 5-6 songs, the besan will be ready 🙂
What do I do if I see the Burn sign?!
Ignore it. It’ll go away on its own after a few minutes. I’ve made sugar syrup in the instant pot many times, and every now and then, the IP will go rogue and give me a “burn” sign – it has always gone away on its own after several minutes – be patient.
Here’s what to expect if the burn sign comes up: after a few minutes, the burn sign will disappear, and the pressure cooker will continue to count down. As long as the valve is closed and the silicone ring is on properly, it’ll be fine. The sugar won’t burn. The temperature of the syrup will still be within the correct range to make this fudge.
Besan burfi lasts a while. You can store this burfi on the counter for a week, in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or in the freezer for months. Enjoy!
Print Instant Pot Besan Burfi (Chickpea Fudge)
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: Indian
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups besan (approx 230 – 245 grams)
- 1 cup sugar (approx 200 – 210 grams)
- ⅓ cup water (approx 2.55 – 2.75 ounces)
- ¾ cup ghee (approx. 5.5 – 6 ounces)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom*
- 2–3 tablespoons chopped nuts, optional, to taste
Instructions
- Roast the Besan: Press the sauté button (default medium setting) and allow the pot to heat up for a couple of minutes. Add the besan to the instant pot and dry roast the besan, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until it smells toasty and the color slightly darkens by a shade or two. Remove the besan from the pot and set it aside for now (if you’re unsure whether it’s toasted properly, you can taste a pinch of it – if it’s bitter, that means it’s still raw).
- Wipe down the pot with a dry paper towel, then add sugar and water to the pot and mix well.
- Secure the lid and cook for 11 minutes at high pressure.
- Quick-release pressure.
- Add the roasted besan, ghee, cardamom, and quickly stir until well combined. You’ll need to be quick as this mixture thickens fast, making it tough to stir well.
- Spoon the mixture into a greased 8×8 or similar sized pan/dish and spread it out with a spatula. If using nuts, press them into the fudge while it’s still warm (you can use parchment paper to press them in). The fudge sets in minutes – make sure to slice it right away and then let it cool before removing the slices. If you wait too long to make the slices, it’ll crumble as you try to slice the hardened burfi.
Notes
Important: All of the recipes on my blog are tested using a 6 quart instant pot – I have not tested this recipe in a different sized pot. I don’t know if this recipe will work in a 3 quart or 8 quart as the surface area is different and will affect the temperature of the sugar syrup. I suggest only using a 6 quart for this recipe.
I suggest using freshly ground cardamom over store-bought ground cardamom – I’ve tried both and freshly ground makes a big difference in this burfi given that it calls for such few ingredients. Remember – when you freshly grind cardamom, save the green shells and use them when making chai 🙂
Store this burfi in an airtight container on the counter for a week, in the fridge for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for months.
If you see the burn sign: please ignore it – it’ll go away on its own after a few minutes. I’ve made sugar syrup in the instant pot many times and every now and then the IP will go rogue and give me a “burn” sign – it has always gone away on its own after several minutes – just be patient. Here’s what to expect if the burn sign comes up: after a few minutes the burn sign will disappear and the pressure cooker will continue to count down. As long as the valve is closed and the silicone ring is on properly, it’ll be fine. The sugar won’t burn. The temperature of the syrup will still be within the correct range to make this fudge.
Update 7/8: you may have noticed that I changed the cook time to 11 minutes (it was 12 minutes when I first shared the recipe). I did this after hearing that some of you had trouble with the burfi becoming too hard too quickly. After more testing, I think 11 minutes is the way to go.
My two little “helpers” say hello 🙂 Hope you enjoy the burfi!
Hi Ashley, I tried making this after my failure with kaju katli. I encountered the same problem. Keep getting the burn food sign. The vent is on sealing and silicone ring is insterted properly. The IP won’t countdown and I didn’t keep track of time. Would you happen to know why this happens? Exactly the same thing happened while making kaju katli. Should I add a bit more water?
Thank you
Hi Jasmine, I’m sorry I know that’s so frustrating! Do you know about how long you waited for it to go away? It can sometimes take several minutes before the burn sign disappears. As for why it happens, in this case – I assume that it thinks the sugar is burning – but when the sugar melts into liquid, my guess is that that’s why it goes back to counting. Please let me know if you try again!
Hi, Thank You for the recipe! Can I make ladoos out this mixture?
This recipe was a hit. It was easy to make and tastes really good. And yes, my IP flashed the burn message which I ignored and it went away in a couple of minutes 🙂
★★★★★
MJ, I’m so happy to hear that you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Oh gosh this recipe is so easy and so yummy it’s dangerous! The barfi was such a hit with everyone that tasted it. Previously my aunt used to make them and send us.. once a year. I’m so happy that I can make these besan barfi with such ease, thanks to your recipe.
Nilu, that’s so great to hear! And yes, very dangerous lol! Thank you for letting me know how much you like this recipe 🙂
Hey hi, Does this burfi taste similar to south indian “mysore pak”? I see it has all the same ingredients as mysore pak.. I have been trying to make one for my husband
OMG, Ashley!!! This one is fantastic!! I just finished making and I am waiting for it cool, but I licked clean the spatula and what was stuck to the bottom of the IP insert. I havent made your Kaju burfi yet but this one was so easy and so so so delicious…. now I know what to do with the 2 packs of besan I bought by mistake!
★★★★★
Jenita, hooray!! I’m so happy to hear that you like this recipe 🙂 This is definitely the best way to use up besan, lol! If you want something savory/snacky – try my IP khaman dhokla – another good way to use up besan!
Hi Ashley, I made this and it turned out very well .. except … I think I over cooked the besan . I dry roasted it for 25 minutes in the sauté mode but I wasn’t sure what setting to use and I did it on the high setting .. was that my mistake?
Other than the dark color, the barfi turned out simply delicious.
Hi Seema, I’m so glad it turned out well! Does it taste okay even though it’s dark? Hopefully it didn’t burn! I sauté on the medium setting (default setting) – I’ll update the post with this info as I’m sure it’ll help others. Also, I think the lighting makes the burfi pictured here look a bit lighter than it is – it’s actually a soft brown color but I’m still learning photography. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for such an easy and yummy recipe. But it turned out very greasy almost like mysore pak and not besan barfi :). 3/4 cup of ghee seems a lot of fat, i hope to update this thread by reducing the amount of ghee next time.
★★★★★
Please let us know how it goes with less ghee! 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I am from Gujarat and we call this besan burfi ‘magas’ which I’ve grown up eating. It reminds me of Diwali time at home 🙂 I’m very excited to try this recipe out soon. I was just wondering if there is a video of this recipe as well. Thanks!
Vini, that’s so great to hear 🙂 I hope to have a video up in a couple of weeks! I can’t wait to hear what you think when you make this 🙂
Hi
been following your page for a while – loved everything I’ve tried. However, when i tried the besan barfi and added sugar and water to the pot for 12 mins (my instapot in a few mins showed the ‘burn’ sign). when i added the mixture to it and mixed well it did not set well (its crumbly – yet delicious)
Really appreciate if you could post a video.
Thanks
★★★
Hi just to be sure, you’re using a 6 quart IP, correct? And did you use enough ghee? I’ll share a video soon!
Can i make this in 3 qt instapot? How will the steps differ?
Hi Aditi, I’ve only tested this in a 6 quart but my guess would be no – the difference in surface area will require a different cook time in order to get the sugar syrup to the correct temperature – sorry!
I tried in 3 qts without thinking it might take different temp and it came out good. I would suggest to mix it little more to get the proper shape.
★★★★★
Oh wow, great to know it worked in a 3 quart!
This time I doubled the recipe and made it. Still turned out pretty good.
Nilu, great to know it worked well when you doubled it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I have tried so many of your recipes and so far have loved all of them. I was really excited to try the besan burfee today but disappointed as to how it turned out – big crumbly mess. When I put the sugar and water in the instant pot, it would not come to pressure and do the countdown. Checked the sealing ring and changed it out twice. No luck. I thought something was wrong with my IP. Ended up cooking the sugar/water on saute mode and adding the rest of ingredients. It was crumbly and too hard. Upon doing some research, I read that you need at least 1 cup of liquid in the IP to pressurize. This might be why it didn’t come to pressure? Cooked a meal after the burfee and the IP worked fine.
★★
Hi Vib, aw man, I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t turn out for you! That’s frustrating… maybe I can help troubleshoot? Just to confirm, you used a 6 quart to make this, correct? I recently updated the post with a video – hopefully, that might help? Please let me know if you try this again!
I have mini instant pot
The smaller one. Can I make this burfi in that as well?
Thanks
Hi Suman, I haven’t this recipe in a smaller IP but my guess would be no as the temperature of the sugar syrup may not be the same as it would be in a 6 quart.
Hi Ashley,
Have you tried replacing besan with urad dal flour? In south India (Andhra) we make sunni pindi laddu (made from urad dal). Was wondering if measurements in this recipe work for urad dal laddu. I feel pressing on butter paper and cutting pieces is lot easier than forming laddus with hand 😊
Hi Rishita, that sounds delicious! I would think that another dal flour would work but haven’t tried myself. If you try, please let me know how it goes!
Hi Ashley
I have a novice question regarding this dessert. According to the recipe, 2 cups of besan ( 230 to 245 grams) requires 1 cup sugar. I was planning on adding just half the amount of 230 grams ie approx 115 grams of sugar. But I just reread the instructions and your recipe calls for about 200 grams sugar. Now,I am confused as to how much sugar I really need to add to the recipe. Am sorry if I am asking a very obvious question, its just that I am not very confident when it comes to desserts, but I really want to give this one a try. TIA
Hi Ashley
I prepared this burfi today . It came out crumbly . It taste good though but didn’t bind well .
The burfi was ok at first when I cut into pieces, but hardened afterwards. What did I do wrong.
Hi Mini, this is meant to be a harder burfi. I’m working on a soft besan burfi recipe (that calls for dairy) soon 🙂
Hello Ashley! Thank you for sharing all your recipes!! 🙂
I have a question regarding the burfi. Do you know if I can use coconut sugar instead of white sugar?
Thank you!
Jay
Hi Jay, I haven’t tried this with coconut sugar so I can’t say for sure. I’m not sure if the sugar syrup temperature will be correct, but I think a solution to that could be to just sauté the mixture longer at the end until the dough comes together? If you try, please let me know how it goes!
Hi Ashley, I used my 7qt IP for first time. As a matter
Of fact used IP for first time in my life. I
Tried besan burfi. It came out dry and was very
hard to mix in with ghee and sugar syrup in the pot.
Although it taste good but feels dry. Can you please help me how to make it better. TIA
Hi Neha, I have only tested this recipe with a 6 quart – all of my recipes are tested using that size. I’m guessing you meant to say that yours is an 8 quart? If so, the temperature of the syrup may have been too high as the surface area is different.
So glad you came out with a recipe! I actually made your almond katli several times earlier this year in Ramadan, and when I had a craving for besan mithai, I found a recipe that used the same amount of sugar in your katli recipe and used that amount of besan to roast. 😂
Thank you, Aisha! I’m so glad you like the katli – can’t wait to hear what you think of the besan burfi! I have a few more Indian desserts coming out soon that I’m really excited about – stay tuned 🙂
Hi Ashley
I was really excited to try the besan burfee today but disappointed as to how it turned out – big crumbly mess. When I put the sugar and water in the instant pot, it would not come to pressure and do the countdown., My IP is working fine, no issues with sealing ring or vent. Waited for so much time and pressure was not building up. Looks like very less quantity to build up pressure in the pot . Finally cancelled it and opened the lid
and added the rest of ingredients. It was crumbly and too hard
Please let me know your suggestions
Thanks
Vinu
Hi Vinu, just want to make sure you’re using a 6 qt and not an 8qt? Sugar syrup is finicky and so the ratios have to be perfectly measured – I’ve also only tested this in a 6qt pot.
Hey. Wondering if I can use something else like butter if I don’t have ghee for this recipe and the kalakand recipe.
Hi Sarah, I’ve only tested it with ghee but I don’t see why butter wouldn’t work. I’m sure it’ll be just fine. Let me know what you think of this 🙂
Should I reduce the sugar water cooking time if I’m making half the recipe or double the recipe?
Hi Meenu, I haven’t tried halving or doubling the recipe but will say sugar syrup can be tricky and so I wouldn’t suggest altering the ratios in my recipe. If you experiment, please let us know how it goes!
I liked the recipe it’s quick and easy. However in the last bit I had small clumps of besan is this normal??
Hi Rinku! You can try sieving the besan next time to see if that helps but if the clumps weren’t noticeable/didn’t affect the texture then I wouldn’t bother. Let me know if you make it again 🙂