Easy Besan Halwa Recipe with Chocolate: Tips for Perfect Consistency

You know your beloved besan ka halwa, and how its nutty and warm goodness can melt away the weariness of any hard day or week, so we introduced a comforting and indulgent ingredient to it: chocolate! This version of besan halwa recipe with chocolate tastes almost the same and does not feel like it is trying way too hard to fit amid the cult-classics-meets-modern-fusion. It still tastes like besan halwa, nutty, warm, ghee-rich with the chocolate adding more depth to this comforting dessert, and cutting down some of the sweetness. If you're in the mood for something different but still rooted in the familiar, try this recipe for it takes barely any time to prepare and is ready in a jiffy.

Besan Halwa Recipe with Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1 cup besan
• ½ cup sugar, adjust to taste
• ¾ cup water
• ⅔ cup ghee
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• ⅓ cup Cadbury Bournville 50% dark chocolate (swap with 3 tbsp Cadbury cocoa powder)
• 2 tbsp mixed nuts

Instructions:

1. Take a heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai, let it heat a bit on medium-low, then add the besan and dry roast for 10-12 minutes, stirring continuously. It should turn golden and release a nutty aroma; break up any solid lumps as you stir.
2. Remove from the heat once done. Check for lumps, if any, and set aside.
3. Wipe the pan or kadhai clean and add the sugar and water. Cook it on medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves into a clear syrup.
4. Once you have a smooth liquid, lower the heat and add ghee to it and mix well.
5. Carefully add the roasted besan into the pan, and stir constantly to prevent lump formation. Cook the halwa on low heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Then add the cardamom powder and chopped dark or milk chocolate (or cocoa powder) into the pan. Mix until the chocolate melts fully and becomes a part of the halwa. Keep stirring until it thickens and begins to leave the sides of the pan.
7. Your chocolate besan halwa is ready, scoop it into serving bowls and garnish with chopped nuts of your choice.

Tips & Tricks:

• Don’t multitask while roasting the besan. If you walk away or even pause stirring for too long, it’ll scorch. Stir like you mean it – slow, steady, and nonstop until it turns a deep golden and smells toasty.
• Cut back on sugar if your chocolate is sweet. The recipe assumes you’re using something around 70%. If you're using semisweet chips or anything milder, drop the sugar even more.
• Chop the chocolate small. Big chunks take longer to melt and can throw off the consistency. If it doesn’t melt fast, the halwa might start sticking or separating.
• If it looks greasy, keep stirring. Sometimes ghee will float up before the halwa thickens. That’s normal. Don’t panic or add anything, just give it time.
• Use a metal spatula if you have one. It scrapes the bottom clean and keeps things from catching. Silicone is fine, but avoid wooden spoons, they’re too soft for this kind of work.
• This is a dessert eaten best fresh. Reheats okay, but don’t expect it to hold shape or structure after cooling like a barfi. Warm it gently and stir to bring it back together.