Try a Four-Ingredient Indian Dessert for Diwali from 'Indian As Apple Pie'

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The five-day festival of Diwali ushers in a new year in the Hindu calendar with lights, celebration, and, of course, plenty of food. "It is the most important holiday for our community,” cookbook author and host of the show Indian As Apple Pie Anupy Singla once told WTTW. 

Mithai, or Indian sweets, are an integral part of the festivities. “People will take sweets and drop them off at their friends’ houses, or have them in their own house, to signify the celebration: to sweeten someone’s mouth, or give them something really delicious for dessert," Singla said. Sweet shops like Sukhadia's on Devon Avenue in Chicago do double or triple their typical business leading up to Diwali, selling an estimated three to four thousand pounds of mithai over a week and a half, the owner told WTTW.

While Sukhadia's and other shops produce elaborate and brightly colored treats that are difficult to make at home, there are some Indian desserts that are more accessible to the home cook, like spherical besan pinni, which Singla calls the original protein ball, since they consist of just nuts, protein flour, oil, and sugar. (She also suggests storing the mixture in a container before forming it into individual balls and eating it with a spoon or sprinkling it over oatmeal.) 

Try Singla's recipe for besan pinni below. Just be sure to share them with friends, especially if you're making them for Diwali. 

Besan Pinni

If you are buying besan (chickpea flour) from an Indian grocer, it’s likely made the traditional way, from black chickpeas. But mainstream sources often use the white chickpea. I find it makes a difference. The traditionally made flour is heartier, so when you are heating it, it won’t burn as quickly.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups besan (gram or chickpea flour), sifted
1/2 cup ghee or vegetable oil, plus more if needed
1/2 cup raw, unsalted almonds, finely ground
3/4 cup granulated or raw cane sugar, finely ground

Directions

1. Place the besan in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart sauté pan over medium-high heat and dry-roast for 2–4 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the ghee or oil and stir well.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until aromatic and fully cooked through.

3. Add the almonds and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the sugar, and stir until well combined.

4. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes, until warm but cool enough to handle. If the mixture seems dry and does not bind, add a little more melted ghee or oil, 1 teaspoon at a time.

5. Gather a handful of the mixture and squeeze and roll it into a smooth ball. Keep the mixture warm; if it cools too much, it will not bind well.

6. Continue forming balls until all the mixture is used. Let cool and firm slightly. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 3 months.