Mohanthal

Mohanthal is an integral part of festivals like Janmashtami, Navratri, and Diwali

'Mohan' is another name of Lord Krishna and 'thal' means a plate, and this sweet is considered Krishna's favourite.

Ingredients

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 For the sugar syrup 1 cup sugar  ⅔ cup water

Take besan, 1 tablespoon ghee, and 2 tablespoons of milk in a large pan

Mix well and crumble the besan well using your fingers

Cover and set aside for 30 minutes

Once the besan has rested, pass it through a sieve to remove any big lumps

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.

Once the besan cools, add milk powder, cardamom powder, and saffron. Mix well.

In another pan, take sugar and water. Place it on medium heat. Let the syrup boil until it reaches one string consistency (about 10-12 minutes)

Once the sugar syrup reaches one-string consistency, carefully pour it into 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

Once the mohan thal is set, top it with silver foil (chandi ka vark) and cut it into squares.

Visit spicytamarind.com.au for the full recipe