Sugar-Free Chickpea Flour Fudge / Magaz
MAGAZ SQUARES / CHICKPEA FLOUR FUDGE
Magaz/Magaj or Chickpea Flour Fudge is a winter speciality in our household. It is made with besan/chickpea gram flour, ghee, sugar and cardamom for flavoring and topped with a generous amount of slivered almonds. Besan/chickpea gram flour is toasted in ghee until fluffy and aromatic. The process is simple and the result is a gluten-free dessert/ snack. Since it’s the fall/winter season right now, I added dry ginger powder to add extra warmth to the fudge. The best replacement I have done is use monkfruit sweetener instead of sugar, making it a truly healthy dessert.
The sweetness in the monkfruit sweetener comes from the antioxidants in a monk fruit - a small round fruit in the gourd family, discovered by the Luo Han monks. So unlike artificial sweeteners, it is completely natural. It has 0 calories and no glycemic index. You can read more about monkfruit sweetener here.
YOU WILL NEED
250g besan (chickpea gram flour)
150g ghee
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp cardamon powder
80g monkfruit sweetener (I used lakanto brand from Whole Foods)
1/4 cup slivered and finely chopped almonds, charoli
METHOD
Grease a 8x8 baking pan or a dinner plate (with edges) with ghee and set aside.
Heat ghee in a dutch oven or a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add besan and roast until it turns slightly darker and the texture is light and fluffy. This will take about 20 minutes.
Add dry ginger powder and 1/2 tbsp cardamom powder, mix well and turn off heat. Add monkfruit sweetener, mix well and transfer immediately to the baking pan.
Spread the mixture into an even layer. You can use more than one pan if you prefer slightly thin fudge like me :)
Top with the remaining 1/2 tsp cardamom powder and slivered almonds and charoli.
Cut into squares once the fudge cools. Store in an airtight container and keep in a cool place or refrigerate to lengthen lifespan. Warm the fudge for 10 - 15 seconds in microwave before enjoying.
SUBSTITUTIONS
If you do not have access to monfruit sweetner, use 60g powdered sugar instead, but the fudge/magaz will no longer to sugar-free.
