RyanQuintana2 at 17:50, 25 March 2026

2026-03-25T17:50:39Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian dessert}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Besan chakki
| image =BESAN CHAKKI HOMEMADE KOTA 003.jpg
| caption = Besan chakki sweet
| alternate_name =''Besan katli'', ''besan khandli'', ''besan barfi''
| country = {{flag|India}}
| region = Rajasthan<ref name= "Rajasthan"/>
| creator =
| course = [[Dessert]]
| served =
| main_ingredient = [[Gram flour|Besan (gram flour)]], [[ghee]], [[sugar]]
| variations = [[Mohanthal]], [[dal badam chakki]], [[barfi]]
| calories =
| other =
}}

'''Besan chakki''' (also known as '''besan barfi''') is a traditional [[List of Indian sweets and desserts|Indian sweet]] made from [[Gram flour|gram flour (besan)]], [[ghee]], and [[sugar]], often flavored with [[cardamom]] and garnished with [[Dried fruit|nuts]]. The sweet is known for its firm, fudge-like texture and rich, nutty flavor derived from slow-roasting the gram flour in ghee. While popular throughout [[North India|North]] and [[Western India]], its origin is most closely linked to [[Rajasthan]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diwali delights, the magical journey of Rajsthani sweets |url=https://latest.thedailyguardian.com/foodie/diwali-delights-the-magical-journey-of-rajsthani-sweets/ |website=The Daily Guardian}}</ref> where gram flour is a staple in both sweets and savory dishes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Besan Chakki {{!}} Rajasthani Besan Burfi |url=https://www.zaykakatadka.com/recipe/besan-chakki-rajasthani-besan-burfi/ |access-date=2023-05-01 |website=Zayka Ka Tadka}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Bladholm|first=Linda|title=The Indian Grocery Store Demystified: A Food Lover's Guide to All the Best Ingredients in the Traditional Foods of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh|publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group|year=2016|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> It holds a prominent place in [[Rajasthani cuisine]], particularly among Marwari communities, and is commonly prepared during festivals, weddings, and religious occasions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pant |first=Pushpesh |url=http://archive.org/details/indiacookbook0000pant |title=India cookbook |date=2010 |publisher=London; New York : Phaidon |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7148-5902-6}}</ref><ref name= "Rajasthan">{{Cite book |last=Manglik |first=Mr Rohit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T4AzEQAAQBAJ&dq=Besan+chakki&pg=PA52 |title=Quantity Food Production: [9789368754763] |date=2003-06-03 |publisher=EduGorilla Publication |isbn=978-93-6875-476-3 |language=en}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
''Besan chakki'' is a compound of two words: ''besan'' and ''chakki''. ''Besan'' refers to gram flour and is derived from [[Sanskrit|the Sanskrit]] word ''Vesana''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Platts |first=John T. (John Thompson) |date=1884 |title=A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/platts_query.py?page=209 |access-date=2023-05-01 |website=dsal.uchicago.edu |quote=बेसन [S. वेसन; or पेषण], s.m. Flour or meal of pulse (particularly of ćanā; commonly used as a substitute for soap).}}</ref> The word ''Chakki'' is derived from the Sanskrit word ''Chakrikā.''<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Sarina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oHEwAQAAIAAJ&q=Chakki+Barfi |title=Rajasthan |last2=Coxall |first2=Michelle |date=1999 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-0-86442-743-4 |language=en |quote=Chakki is a piece of barfi (a milk - based fudge) made from gram flour, sugar and milk cake}}</ref>

== Preparation ==
The sugar blends into a creamy texture that comes from the basic mixture, [[khoya]]. The mix is generally heated until the milk solidifies and is then placed in molds of different shapes—diamond, square or sometimes round.

It is usually garnished with sliced or chopped almonds or pistachios. It is sometimes called "Indian cheesecake", though it contains no cheese. Variations of the dish include apricot, mango and coconut flavorings.

The presence of Besan provides a very smooth texture, thus making Khoya an optional ingredient.

== Variation ==
Sometimes, the unsweetened version of ''besan chakki'' or ''besan katli/khandli'' can be used to make a vegetable preparation. This vegetable preparation is very popular in [[Rajasthani cuisine|Rajasthani]] and [[Cuisine of Haryana|Haryanvi cuisine]] and is known by names like ''Chakki ro saag'', ''Besan Katli ka saag'', ''Khandli ka saag'' etc.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Easy बेसन की सब्जी 2 ingredient Besan Sabji पितोड / कतली easy recipe Recipe |url=https://ranveerbrar.com/recipes/2-ingredient-besan-sabji/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Ranveer Brar |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Indian confectionery]]
[[Category:Rajasthani desserts]]
[[Category:Vegetarian dishes of India]]
[[Category:Desi culture]]

{{India-cuisine-stub}}

Besan chakki - Revision history

RyanQuintana2 at 17:50, 25 March 2026