A sweet block made from gram flour roasted in ghee with sugar and flavoured with cardamom — set firm and cut into squares. A traditional sweet of Rajasthan prepared at home during festivals and stored for weeks.
Ingredients
2 cups gram flour (besan)
1 cup ghee
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water (for making sugar syrup)
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
a few saffron strands soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
2 tbsp almonds — sliced thin
2 tbsp pistachio — sliced thin
Method
Roast gram flour in ghee: Melt ghee in a wide heavy pan on low heat. Add gram flour. Stir immediately and continuously on low heat. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the flour turns a deep golden-tan colour and smells nutty and roasted. The mixture will look very oily initially — this is correct. Keep stirring without stopping.
Add saffron to the roasted flour: While the flour is still on very low heat, add the saffron milk. Stir well. Cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Make the sugar syrup: In a separate pan combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Heat stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Cook without stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until it reaches a two-string consistency — dip a spoon, let the drop cool slightly on your finger, press between thumb and forefinger and pull apart — two threads should form. This slightly denser syrup helps the chakki set firm.
Add sugar syrup to the roasted flour: Working quickly, pour the hot sugar syrup into the roasted gram flour while stirring vigorously. The mixture will bubble and come together rapidly.
Add cardamom: Add cardamom powder. Stir thoroughly for 1 to 2 minutes until all the syrup is absorbed and the mixture becomes a stiff, unified mass.
Transfer to a greased tray: Grease a flat tray or plate with a little ghee. Pour the mixture onto the tray immediately — it sets fast. Press flat with a greased spoon or spatula to an even thickness of about 1.5 cm.
Garnish before setting: Scatter the sliced almonds and pistachio over the top immediately. Press them gently so they embed into the surface.
Let it set: Leave at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes until firm.
Cut into squares or diamonds: Once firm, cut with a sharp knife into squares or diamonds.
Store and serve: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. The chakki becomes slightly firmer over days but stays good.
Note: Besan Chakki is different from besan ladoo — chakki is set flat and cut into pieces while ladoo is rolled into balls. Both use the same roasted gram flour base. Chakki is made across Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for Diwali and Krishna Janmashtami. The firm set texture comes from the two-string sugar syrup — thinner syrup makes a soft chakki that does not hold its shape.