What Are The Ingredients In Mohanthal?
Mohanthal is an Indian sweet that’s traditionally prepared for special occasions like marriages and birthdays.
It’s also referred to as “mohaniya kulfi,” which means “chick-pea ice cream” in Hindi.
The preparation of this delicious dessert involves making a thick pudding with coconut milk and then freezing it.
The pudding is made by mixing chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), rice flour, water, baking soda, salt, cardamom seeds, and cinnamon powder together until they form a smooth paste.
Next, you must add some melted butter or ghee into the mixture and mix well so that you don’t end up with dry lumps in your final product.
Once everything is mixed, pour the batter onto a greased tray and bake it in an oven set on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Once the cake has cooled down completely, take it out of the oven and cut it into small cubes.
Then, place the pieces back into the oven and continue cooking them for another 15 minutes.
This time, however, you should use less oil than before because if you put too much fat in the dish, it will become hard when frozen and won’t melt properly when heated again during eating.
After removing the second batch, let both batches cool completely before placing them into the freezer.
When it comes to serving mohanthal, you can either eat it cold or warm it up in the microwave.
Preparing mohanthal at home
While there are several ways to prepare mohanthal, most recipes call for using fresh coconut milk instead of canned.
Fresh coconut milk contains more nutrients than its canned counterpart, plus it doesn’t have any preservatives added to it.
If you want to try making mohanthal at home, here are some tips that you need to keep in mind:
First, buy a can of unsweetened coconut milk, not one that has sugar added to it.
You’ll find these cans in Asian grocery stores.
Second, measure all of the other ingredients accurately.
If you use dried chickpeas instead of whole ones, remember to soak them first.
For example, if you soaked 1 cup of dried chickpeas overnight but only used half of them, you’d need 3 cups of whole ones to make 2½ cups of mashed chickpeas.
Third, be sure to follow instructions exactly.
There are two different types of mohanthal recipes: those that require soaking the chickpeas ahead of time and others that don’t.
In the latter case, simply cook the chickpeas without soaking them beforehand.
Finally, always read labels carefully, especially if you plan to give mohanthal to children.
Some brands contain high levels of sodium and saturated fats that could cause health problems later in life.
How Do You Make Mohanthal?
Mohanthal is a sweet dish that’s traditionally eaten during festive occasions like Diwali, Holi, or any other celebration.
“It’s usually cooked with ghee (clarified butter) and dates, but it can also be prepared using milk,” says Dr.
Anjum Pareek, a pediatrician based out of Mumbai.
The word “mohanthal” literally translates to “sweetmeat” and there are different varieties of mohanthal recipes depending on where you live.
In India, for example, mohanthal has two distinct types: one with dried fruits and another without.
Here’s how to make both kinds of mohanthal.
Dried fruit version
Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/8 tsp saffron threads
- 1/16th tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 1/4 cup curd
- 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/4 cup almonds chopped fine
- 1/4 cup cashews finely ground
- 1/4 cup pistachio nuts shelled and coarsely crushed
- 2 cups chickpea flour
- Ghee as needed
- Water as needed
- Oil if desired
- Method:
- Mix all dry items together except chickpea flour.
- Add enough chickpea flour to get a smooth batter consistency.
- Heat oil over medium heat.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of batter into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Repeat this process until batter is used up.
- Serve warm.
Milk-based version
Ingredients:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 cup almond meal
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/4 tsp ginger paste
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp green cardamoms
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup walnuts broken in half
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- Method:
- In a large bowl mix all dry items except butter.
- Slowly add melted butter while mixing well.
- Keep adding more butter till mixture becomes thick.
- Transfer mixture onto greased baking tray in small portions so they don’t stick together.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow them to cool completely before serving.
What Is The History Of Mohanthal?
Mohanthal is an ancient Indian sweet that dates back more than 2,000 years.
The word “mohanthal” literally means “sweet” in Hindi (the language spoken by most Indians).
In Sanskrit, it also refers to the practice of giving gifts as part of marriage ceremonies.
In India today, mohanthal recipes are passed down through generations.
For example, one family in Kolkata had their own special mohanthal recipe for thousands of years before they started selling it commercially.
Today, people buy mohanthal because it’s delicious, healthy, and easy to prepare.
The ingredients are simple and inexpensive, and there isn’t much mess involved.
“It was always a favorite among my mom,” says Prachi Gupta, co-founder of mohanthal company Mohanthal Foods.
Here’s how to make this classic Indian dessert.
What Is The Traditional Way To Serve Mohanthal?
Mohanthal is an old-fashioned Indian sweet that’s traditionally served on special occasions like wedding ceremonies or birthdays.
“It’s a very popular dish in India,” says Kavita Purohit of Delhi.
“I think it originated from Rajasthan.”
Purohit explains that there are two versions of this dessert: one with saffron (which we’ll go into more detail about later) and another without it.
Traditional mohanthal recipes include milk powder, as well as saffron threads for color.
The ingredients can also vary depending on what part of India you’re eating it in.
For instance, some people use cardamom instead of cinnamon because they have it growing locally.
In addition, some people add raisins or even nuts to their mohanthals for extra flavor.
The base ingredient for most mohanthals is chickpea flour, which gives it its characteristic white texture.
This flour is used for making breads, dumplings, and other savory dishes.
But when blended with butter, honey, and spices, it becomes something completely different — a creamy, fluffy confection that tastes delicious by itself, but is especially good alongside ice cream.
As for how to make mohanthal, it’s not hard to figure out if you’ve had Indian food before.
You just need some basic kitchen equipment and a few ingredients.
Here’s what you need to know:
Ingredients
Chickpea Flour: Chickpea flour is ground dried split peas, so it has a slightly nutty taste. Look for whole wheat flour if you want to avoid gluten grains.
Saffron Threads: Saffron is a spice that comes from crocus flowers, and it adds beautiful yellow color to your desserts. If you don’t find saffron threads in your local grocery store, you can buy them online.
Ghee: Ghee is clarified butter that’s been strained until all of the solids have settled and only pure fat remains. It’s similar to regular butter, except it has much less moisture content. As such, it tastes richer than regular butter.
Honey: Honey is best known as a natural sweetener, but it also makes a great glaze for cakes and cookies. Some people prefer light honey over dark honey for cooking purposes, since darker varieties tend to be higher in antioxidants.
Cinnamon Stick: Cinnamon sticks are long strips of bark taken off of evergreen trees. They give foods that distinctive warm, spicy flavor. You can substitute any kind of stick you’d like, though. Be sure to choose a brand that doesn’t contain artificial flavors or colors.
Cardamom Seeds: Cardamom seeds come from green pods found inside tropical plants. Their aroma is reminiscent of vanilla, cloves, and black pepper. When added to sweet dishes, they provide additional depth and complexity.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract is derived from the bean plant, and it contains many health benefits due to its high concentration of flavonoids. Flavonoids help protect against heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, among other things.
Almonds/Raisins/Cashews: Almonds and cashews are both commonly grown in California. Raisins come from grape vines, while almonds grow on almond tree branches. Both of these produce small fruits that look almost identical.
Other Ingredients: Sugar, salt, and water.
Equipment Needed for Making Mohanthal
Stainless steel pot: Stainless steel pots retain heat better than nonstick pans do. To prevent sticking issues, it’s important to wash your pan thoroughly after each time you cook with it.
Baking sheet: Baking sheets let you evenly distribute heat when baking multiple items at once. When working with liquids, it’s best to line the bottom of your baking sheet with parchment paper first, then grease it lightly with oil or butter.
Whisk: Whisks are essential for mixing dry substances together. If you don’t have a whisk, you could try using a fork or spoon instead.
Is Mohanthal Vegan?
Mohanthal isn’t exactly a dairy product.
Ghee (clarified butter) is an ingredient in this dish that contains animal fats.
However, it’s not really considered meat or milk because it comes from cows.
“Cow” has been used as a synonym for “milk” since ancient times.
But cow-based foods can be found all over India — you’ll find them on menus throughout the country.
The word “cow,” however, refers only to the bovine species.
There are other types of cattle indigenous to India.
The most widely consumed type of these animals is called the water buffalo.
These large beasts provide milk, eggs, and a variety of products such as leather and dung.
They’re also one of the primary sources of transportation in many parts of India.
Other than their ability to produce milk, water buffaloes have no relation with cows.
In fact, they’ve been domesticated much later than cows.
Water buffalo were first introduced into India around 500 BC, while cows appeared there about 3,500 years ago.
In addition to being native to India, water buffalo are also commonly seen across Southeast Asia.
For example, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar all have significant populations of the creatures.
Most people who live in those countries consider water buffalo to be sacred to Buddha.
It appears that the two species’ names derive from similar origins.
Both come from Sanskrit words meaning “water.”
As far as mohanthal goes, it’s important to understand what it is before deciding whether it’s vegan or not.
If you want to avoid any controversy, stick to the official definition.
Mohanthal recipes typically call for ghee, but you don’t need to use it if you’d prefer something else.
What Are Some Common Variations Of Mohanthal?
Mohanthal can vary in preparation depending on the region where it’s prepared.
For example, in Punjab (India), there’s also called mohapattar, which uses desi ghee as opposed to the more popular clarified butter.
“There are many different versions of Mohanthal,” says Dr.
Ritu Singh, author of “The Complete Book Of Desserts” and “Indian Food.” In her book she notes that the most popular version is typically made with ghee, but other recipes call for clarified butter or vegetable oil instead of ghee.
Some recipes use only pureed fruit such as applesauce, while others include nuts like almonds or pistachios.
She adds that there’s no set rule about how much sugar should be used.
The amount varies according to preference.
“Some people prefer sweeter versions of Mohanthal,” explains Dr.
Singh.
And if you want to make your own version, the type of sweetener will depend on what ingredients you have on hand.
If you’re using unsweetened natural cane sugar, then add 2 teaspoons per cup of water to achieve a smooth consistency.
If you’d rather not use any added sugars, try using brown sugar instead, but note that this may affect the texture of the finished product.
Can Mohanthal Be Made Glutenfree?
Mohanthal is an ancient Indian dessert that’s typically eaten during festive occasions.
It’s traditionally made with chickpea flour (also known as besan) which has been ground into a fine powder.
Besan is also used to make other dishes such as idlis and dosas.
Besan contains protein, fiber, iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
The protein in beshan makes it great for your skin because it can help reduce inflammation and prevent wrinkles.
However, you should still eat healthy fats like olive oil or coconut oil when eating mohanthal to get enough fat!
Although mohanthal isn’t necessarily gluten-free, there are several ways you can modify this dish so it can become one without compromising on taste.
Here are three simple modifications you can try if you want to enjoy the deliciousness of mohanthal without any wheat or gluten.
What Are Some Tips For Making The Perfect Mohanthal?
Mohanthal recipes vary depending on what kind of food you want to serve it with.
If you’re serving it as an accompaniment for sweets like kheer or gulab jamun, mohanthal needs to have that rich flavor.
You can use any sweetener in place of honey but I prefer using raw cane sugar because it has more depth than other sugars.
If you don’t have access to raw cane sugar, you can substitute brown sugar instead.
For savory dishes, mohanthal works best when paired with something salty like pickled vegetables or olives.
The saltiness balances out the sweetness and makes it easier to eat without feeling sick.
The most important part of the mohanthal recipe is patience.
The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.
You’ll need to let this mixture cook for about 2 hours before removing it from the heat.
Once it’s done cooking, put the pan back on the stove and keep stirring until all the ingredients come together into one solid mass.
This will take several minutes.
Once it’s time to add your toppings, make sure to stir everything together so they get evenly distributed throughout the pan.
When you remove the pan from the heat, turn off the burner and cover up the top with aluminum foil.
After 30-45 minutes, unwrap the foil and check if the bottom layer is set enough to cut into pieces.
If not, leave it covered again for another 15-20 minutes.
To test whether the mohanthal is ready for eating, stick a spoon in the middle and pull it out slowly.
If it comes out cleanly, the mohanthal is done! Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
Store mohanthal in airtight containers.
It may seem intimidating since there are so many different ways to prepare mohanthal, but once you’ve mastered the basic steps, you’ll find yourself whipping it up all the time.
How Should Mohanthal Be Stored?
Mohanthal is best eaten soon after it’s been prepared.
In fact, if you’re going to store mohanthal in your fridge or freezer, you’ll want to prepare it as close to serving time as possible.
“The shelf life of this candy is only one week,” says Dr.
Rama Krishnan Nair, founder of The Kerala Ayurvedic Centre.
“If you have leftovers, keep them in the refrigerator (if they’re not too hard) until you’re ready to eat them.”
Keep in mind that mohanthal contains both ghee and coconut oil, which can become rancid over time.
If you plan on storing mohanthal for longer than one week, don’t forget to put an airtight lid on top!
What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make When Making Mohanthal?
Mohanthal can be tricky to prepare because it contains quite a few ingredients that could easily go wrong.
The most important thing to keep in mind while preparing the dish is not to overheat your pan.
If you heat up too much of oil (or butter) before adding the other ingredients, then they may burn or stick to the bottom of the pot.
If this happens, don’t worry — just add more oil (or butter), and stir until everything comes together again.
Another mistake I’ve seen many times is using an empty pan for cooking mohanthal.
You need a deep skillet with high sides so that all the moisture evaporates during cooking, which will help prevent burning.
Another issue that arises when making mohanthal is that it’s hard to get the right consistency between sweet and dry.
To solve this problem, try stirring constantly as you’re adding each ingredient into the mixture.
This will ensure that no lumps form and that the finished product has the perfect texture.
The last tip I’d like to give you is to use a thermometer.
Not only does one measure temperature accurately, but it also tells you exactly how hot the mixture is getting without needing to guess.
So if you see that the water starts boiling after about 20 minutes, stop stirring and remove the pan from the stovetop immediately.
Here’s what the final look of mohanthal should resemble:
Ingredients
for besan mixture:
- 3 cup besan
- ¼ cup ghee
- ¼ cup milk
for roasting:
- 1 cup ghee
- ½ cup milk
other ingredients:
- 1½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- pinch saffron food colour
- ½ cup khova
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- silver vark
- dry fruits
Instructions
how to make danedar besan:
- First, combine 3 cups besan, 1/4 cup ghee, and 1/4 cup milk in a big bowl.
- Mix and crumble the besan until it becomes wet.
- Rub the besan continuously until it develops a gritty texture.
- now use a sieve with big holes to filter the besan.
- Besan develops a gritty texture. put aside.
how to roast besan:
- Heat 1 cup of ghee in a large kadai before adding the besan mixture.
- Continue to roast the besan over a low heat.
- The besan turns golden brown and ghee pours out of the sides of the pan after 20 minutes of roasting.
- now continue mixing while adding 1/2 cup milk.
- The mixture becomes foamy and becomes grainier in texture.
- Cook the besan until all of the milk has been absorbed.
- move to a bowl, then set away.
how to make sugar syrup:
- Add 112 cups sugar and 12 cups water to a big kadai.
- Boil the mixture for one string’s worth of sugar syrup.
- Mix thoroughly after adding a pinch of saffron food coloring. Although it is optional, adding color improves burfi’s color.
- furthermore, stir in 1/2 cup khova. Mix thoroughly to incorporate the khova into the sugar syrup.
- now incorporate the sugar syrup with the roasted besan mixture.
- Make sure the besan is thoroughly incorporated while mixing.
- Cook the mixture until the pan begins to separate from the mixture.
- Additionally, stir in 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder.
- Place the mixture on the baking sheet-lined tray.
- To create an even top, tap and level up.
- Rest for four hours, or chill to fast set.
- Unmould the burfi after it has fully hardened, then embellish with silver vark.
- Chop into the desired form, then top with dry fruits as a garnish.
- Last but not least, mohanthal keeps for a week in the refrigerator.
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My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.