Kesar mani
Gram flour, edible gum and nut sweet with cinnamon and saffron
Kesar mani is a rich, crumbly Gujarati sweet of gram flour roasted in ghee with popped edible gum, then mixed with milk powder, coconut, ground nuts, cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. It's nutty, fragrant and warming, a favourite in the winter months. Makes 25–30 pieces.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 14
Ingredients
For decoration
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 9 ½ oz ghee in a heavy pan and add 5 ½ oz gram flour (besan), stirring continuously on a low heat.
10 minStep 2: When it smells nutty and turns light pink, add 5 ½ oz gum arabica (edible gum, gund) a spoonful at a time, letting each lot pop and puff before adding more.
5 minStep 3: Turn off the heat and add 4 oz milk powder, 4 oz desiccated coconut, 7 oz almonds and cashew nuts, 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp saffron and 1 tsp ground cardamom. Mix well; don't add the sugar yet.
Step 4: When the mixture is only slightly warm, add 13 oz powdered sugar and mix well. Adding it when hot would melt it and make the sweet sticky.
15 minStep 5: Spread and press the mixture evenly into a greased tray, 3.5 cm thick.
Step 6: Decorate with 1 pinch saffron strands and 2 tbsp almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into pieces when cold.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kesar mani take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 14 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of almonds and cashew nuts?
- Almonds or peanuts, same amount.
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