Sindhi Bessan Jo Lolo

Bessan jo lolo is one of the simplest and most traditional sweets of Sindhi cuisine, made from just three ingredients: besan (chickpea flour), gur (jaggery, unrefined cane sugar) and ghee. The besan is roasted in ghee until deeply aromatic, then melted jaggery is added, and the mixture is cooked briefly and spread into a tray to set. The result is a dense, fudgy, intensely nutty bar that tastes of toasted chickpea, caramelised sugar and rich ghee. It is made for festivals (especially Cheti Chand, the Sindhi new year) and as a simple everyday sweet, cut into squares and eaten with tea. The jaggery gives a deeper, more complex sweetness than refined sugar, with notes of molasses and smoke that complement the roasted besan.

Dense, fudgy, deeply nutty and sweet, with the complex molasses depth of jaggery and the toasted warmth of roasted besan. Each square is a rich, satisfying mouthful that goes perfectly with strong tea.

The technique is besan roasting followed by jaggery melting. Besan is roasted in melted ghee over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and deeply aromatic. Grated or chopped jaggery is added (equal weight to the besan), and the mixture is cooked for 5 more minutes until the jaggery is completely melted and incorporated. The hot mixture is spread into a greased tray, smoothed, and left to set for 1 hour. When firm, it is cut into squares. The roasting of the besan must be thorough; under-roasted besan gives a raw, pasty taste. The jaggery must be fully melted; unincorporated lumps create hard spots. The ghee acts as both the cooking medium and the binder that holds the set sweet together.