Just 6 ingredients to make a homemade Gujarati Mohanthal recipe that melts in your mouth! Detailed pictures to learn the tips to make this delicious traditional sweet without mawa or with milk powder.

Mohanthal is a very popular Indian mithai, specifically made in Gujarat and Rajasthan.  This recipe is for a traditional Gujarati mithai, Mohanthal.

(Note mithai means sweets so Indian mithai means Indian sweets!)

Mohanthal is made of coarse besan flour, milk, ghee, sugar, cardamom powder, and pistachios.

It is made by roasting coarse besan flour in ghee and milk to make a danedar or grainy texture very very unique Mithai.

Why is it called mohanthal? Mohan is another name for Lord Krishna and thal means plate, like thali.  So, in some areas, Mohan thal is a sweet dish believed to be Krishna’s favorite.

Mohanthal is popular to serve as a Diwali sweet or during the festive season and weddings.  Other popular Gujarati sweets include Sukhdi, Magas, and besan ladoo.

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Main Ingredients:

Coarse Gram Flour or Besan : For the perfect Mohanthal recipe you cannot use regular besan. You need coarse Gram flour which you can get from any Indian Grocery store or you can always prepare by giving Dhaba (which will be explained in detail in recipe)

Sugar: You can use caster sugar or white ground sugar.

Ghee: Use room temperature Ghee.

Milk: Preferred to use whole milk for this.

Cardamom: using cardamom powder in this will give distinct taste.

Pistachio and Almonds: chopped pistachio for garnishing.

Saffron strain: Using saffron in any Indian sweets give nice aroma and enhance the taste and color.

Mawa or Milk Powder: Mawa or milk powder is totally optional here. You can add too or skip as well.

Making the Mohanthal Mithai Recipe

Prepare flour (dhrabo or dhaabo)

The unique texture of ghee-roasted besan is key to this traditional dessert.  It is achieved by using coarse besan flour and following the steps below.

In 2 cups of gram flour, add 1/4 cup of ghee and 1/4 cup of whole milk. You can warm milk and ghee and then pour into besan as well.

Add coarse besan flour to a mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center of the flour.  Pour the milk and melted ghee mixture into the center.

You can use a spoon to initially mix the milk/ghee with the flour.  Then, use your hands to mix it all well.

Once well combined, pat the besan mixture down into the bowl. Let rest for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, move on to the next step of making the chaasni.

Make sugar syrup (chaasni)

The sugar syrup consistency of Gujarati Mohanthal is KEY.

Add sugar and water to a pot on the stove on medium heat.  Let simmer until it reaches 1 to 1.5 string consistency. 

Remove from stove and let cool to room temperature.  It will thicken as it coolsUse a candy thermometer
After letting the sugar syrup simmer for a few minutes on medium use a spatula to let 5-6 drops fall off the edge.  Place the 6^th or 7^th drop of syrup on a plate.  Let it sit for 10 seconds.  Now, slightly tilt the plate.  If the drop does not move much or at all it is at the right consistency.
After letting the sugar syrup simmer for a few minutes on medium take a spoonful of the syrup and put it in a small bowl.  Give it a minute or two to come to a temperature that is safe for you to touch.  Dip a pointer finger in the syrup and touch it to your thumb.  When you pull your fingers apart it should form a string.  That is one-string consistency.  When it forms 1 string and a 2^nd that is less strong than the first that is 1.5 string consistency which is what you are looking for.

Roast / cook the coarse besan flour

Return to the flour and crumble it into pieces.

Once the flour is rested for 20 minutes, it’s time to break into crumble. You can use your hands to crumble it into pieces or you can use spatula too.

Use a small to medium size sieve to sieve the flour. Use your hands to press chunks through the sieve.

Any large chunks should be blended to make the flour.

In a large heavy bottom pot add 1 cup of ghee. Let it melted down. Once the ghee melt down, add this sieved coarse besan.

In small medium flame and with very patience roast this besan. At first, the mixture will be dark and thick. Keep mixing intermittently.

After 8-10 minutes you will notice the mixture has lightened in color and it seems a bit fluffier and lighter. 

Keep mixing intermittently. After another 5-7 minutes the mixture will become darker again and a bit thicker.

Then, add 1/4 cup milk to the mixture and mix.  It will swell a bit and fluff up. Mix for 1-2 minutes until it settles down. Once the besan roasted completely add cardamom powder and milk powder into this. You can skip milk powder if you don’t have.

Turn off the gas. Remove pan from heat and spread out to cool to room temperature in another wider pan or large mixing bowl.

Make mohanthal

Once the mixture is at room temperature add cardamom powder. 

Next, pour in the prepared sugar syrup (chaasni).  (It will be thicker now that it is also at room temperature). 

Mix to combine the mixture well for 2-3 minutes. 

Pour the mixture into the ghee-greased tray. Lightly tap the tray a few times on the countertop to help the ghee rise to the top.

Place chopped pistachios and almonds on top (they will stick better to the ghee that rose to the top). Let set for at least 2-3 hours.  Then cut pieces using a sharp knife. 

Danedar Mohanthal Recipe – Flavorsofmykitchen

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Shruti Naik Course: DessertCuisine: Indian

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

230

kcal

Total time

50

minutes

Mohanthal is a very popular Indian mithai, specifically made in Gujarat and Rajasthan.  This recipe is for a traditional Gujarati mithai, mohanthal.

Ingredients

• For Coarse besan:

• 2 cups gram flour ( if you have corse besan use that)

• 1/4 cup ghee

• 1/4 cup milk

• Chasni (Sugar Syrup)

• 1 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup water

• Saffron strain

• Roasting Flour:

• 3/4 cup ghee

• coarse besan (which we prepared by giving dhaabo)

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1/4 cup milk powder (optional)

• Mohanthal:

• Prepared sugar syrup

• roasted flour in ghee and milk

• Pistachio and almonds for garnishing

Directions

• Prepare flour (dhraabo)
• In a mixing bowl take 2 cups of regular gram flour. Add 1/4 cup of melted ghee and 1/4 cup of milk into this. Mix it well with your palms.
• You can use a spoon to initially mix the milk/ghee with the flour. Then, use your hands to mix it all together really well.
• Once well combined, pat the mixture down into the bowl. Let rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile move onto the next step of making the chaasni.
• Chasni or Sugar Syrup: (1 to 1.5 string constistency)
• Add sugar and water to pot on stove on medium heat. Let simmer until it reaches 1 to 1.5 string consistency. See post for tips on this.
• Remove from stove and let cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools.
• Roast / cook the coarse besan flour
• Return to the flour and crumble it into pieces. Use a small to medium sieve to sieve the flour. Any large chunks that can’t be sieved should be blended.
• Grease a mithai tray or plate with ghee. Once the mixture is ready you will let it set in this tray.
• Melt ghee in pot on stovetop on low heat.
• Once melted, add coarse besan flour and mix well to combine. At first the mixture will be dark and thick. Keep mixing intermittently.
• After 8-10 minutes you will notice the mixture has lightened in color and it seems a bit fluffier and lighter.
• Keep mixing intermittently. After another 5-7 minutes the mixture will become darker again and a bit thicker.
• Add 1/4 cup milk into this. It will swell a bit and fluff up. Mix for 1-2 minutes until it settles down.
• Mix and let it cook down for 4-5 more minutes. It will have a thick, grainy texture. Add cardamom powder and 1/4 cup milk powder. Mix it well.
• Turn the flame off and Remove pan from heat and spread out in a different pan or wide bowl to cool to room temperature.
• Make mohanthal
• Once the mixture is at room temperature add cardamom powder.
• Next, pour in the sugar syrup (chaasni). (It will be thicker now that it is also at room temperature).
• Mix to combine the mixture well for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour the mixture into the ghee greased tray. Lightly tap the tray a few times on the countertop to help the ghee rise to the top.
• Place chopped pistachios on top (they will stick better to the ghee that rose to the top). Let set at least 2-3 hours. Then cut pieces using a sharp knife.

Recipe Video

Notes

• This makes 12 pieces of mohanthal that are on the bigger side. Similar to the bigger pieces you get at the mithai shop.  You can definitely cut them smaller, per your preference.
  The longer you let it set, the easier it will be to cut pieces as the ghee solidifies and helps set the sweet.