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Mohanthal
Mohanthal
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Mohanthal is a traditional Gujarati sweet which is usually prepared on the festivals of Diwali and Janmashtami, also popular in Rajasthan. It is made using the chickpea flour (gram flour / besan), sugar, ghee, milk and cardamom powder. Mohan is another name of the Lord Krishna and Thal means bhog (dish) in Gujarati, as this sweet is usually served as Bhog (prasad) to the God.
Making this sweet requires a lot of patience and hard work as it is necessary to roast the gram flour on low flame to get the perfect texture but believe me, it is all worth it for this melt in mouth sweet.
Ingredients:
2 cups Besan (chickpea flour / gram flour / chana lot) (300 gm)
1 cup Ghee (250 ml)
1/2 cup Milk (125 ml)
1 cup Sugar (225 gm)
1/2 cup Water (125 ml)
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder (elaychi powder)
1-2 tablespoons chopped Mixed Nuts (almonds and pistachios)
Directions:
  1. In the mohanthal, first we do the dhaba (dharba) process. In this process, the gram flour is mixed with ghee and milk and then set aside for 10-15 minutes. This process is necessary to get the granular texture in mohanthal. Grease a square pan or a plate with ghee and keep aside.
  2. Take 2 cups besan (chickpea flour / gram flour / chana lot) (300 gm) in a large bowl.
  3. Heat 3 tablespoons ghee and 3 tablespoons milk in a small pan for 1-2 minutes or until the ghee is melted mixture is hot. Add the milk-ghee mixture to the besan.
  4. Mix it with your hand until it is mixed properly as shown in the picture.
  5. Cover the bowl with a plate and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
  6. After 15 minutes, sieve the mixture using a large strainer. If it is difficult to sieve, gently press the mixture to sieve it from the strainer. Don’t skip this step as it is necessary to get the granular texture.
  7. Heat remaining ghee (1 cup – less 3 tablespoons) in a heavy based kadai or pan over medium flame. When it is melted, add sieved besan to it.
  8. Stir and cook for 2 minutes and then reduce the flame to low. Now roast the besan by continuously stirring it. Initially, the mixture will turn thick and it will be a little bit harder when you stirring it.
  9. After 6-8 minutes, mixture will turn frothy. Now, the stirring of the mixture will be a little bit easier.
  10. Keep roasting it until it turns light brown (like caramel).
  11. Now add 2 tablespoons milk. Mixture will turn frothy again. Keep stirring it until the almost milk is absorbed. Don’t add all the milk in one batch.
  12. Again add 2 tablespoons milk and keep stirring.
  13. Add remaining milk (1 tablespoon) and cook until almost milk is absorbed.
  14. As you can see in the picture, the mixture is now no more frothy.
  15. Turn off the flame and remove the pan from the gas stove. Stir occasionally and let the mixture cool down at room temperature.
  16. Now, let’s prepare the sugar syrup. Take 1 cup sugar (225 gms) and 1/2 cup water in a pan or a pot and cook it over medium flame.
  17. Stir it until sugar dissolves and then let it cook until the syrup reaches to the 1 string consistency. If you are living in the hot climate then cook the syrup until it reaches to the 1.5 string consistency. Don’t overcook the syrup otherwise mohanthal will turn hard.
  18. Turn off the flame. Add 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder to the sugar syrup and mix well. Let the syrup cool down for 2-4 minutes.
  19. Now, add the syrup to the cooled besan mixture (make sure the besan mixture is not hot, a little warm mixture is fine).
  20. Stir continuously and mix well.
  21. Immediately transfer the mixture to a greased pan. Mixture will turn a little bit thick and harder as it cools down so don’t keep the mixture idle after mixing.
  22. Sprinkle chopped nuts over it and press gently with spatula.
  23. Let the mohanthal cool down for a couple of hours (2-8 hours) to set, depending on the weather.
  24. When it is set, cut into small squares using a sharp knife.
  25. Store it in airtight container for 15 days at room temperature.
Tips and Variations:
  • BESAN – You can use either coarse besan or regular besan for this sweet.
  • FLAME – Keep the flame low and stir the besan continuously while roasting to roast it uniformly and prevent it from burning otherwise it will turn brown fast but taste raw.
  • SUGAR SYRUP – Don’t cook the sugar syrup for more than 1.5 string consistency. If you are living in the hot climate then cook the syrup until 1.5 string consistency and if you are living in the cold climate cook the syrup until 1 string consistency.
  • MOHANTHAL TURNED HARD – It happens when the sugar syrup is overcooked. Make sure to cook the syrup 1 to 1.5 string consistency.
  • Some recipes use mawa while making this sweet but no need of mawa when you make this in a traditional way.
Taste:  Sweet and soft
Serving Ideas:  Serve mohanthal with farsi puri, poha chivda and methi puri during the festivals like Diwali.

Recipe printed from : https://foodviva.com

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