This air fryer mohanthal is an easier way to make a rich, slightly grainy Indian sweet without continuously roasting gram flour over the stove. Instead of starting with ready-made besan, this recipe uses soaked chana dal, which is ground into a thick batter and cooked in stages in the air fryer.
Once cooked, the dal is cooled and ground again to create the characteristic coarse texture. It is then roasted with ghee before adding a simple mixture of powdered sugar, hot water and cardamom. There is no need to boil a separate sugar syrup or check for one-string consistency.
This method is different from a traditional halwai-style or Gujarati mohanthal recipe, which normally starts with besan or gram flour and involves slow roasting followed by carefully cooked sugar syrup. If you enjoy adapting traditional sweets to the air fryer, also try my easy air fryer besan ladoo, air fried modak, or air fryer gur makhana.
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Why Make Mohanthal in the Air Fryer?
The air fryer makes this mohanthal easier to prepare with less hands-on roasting. Instead of continuously stirring besan and ghee over low heat, the chana dal mixture cooks in stages in the air fryer, with only occasional brushing, flipping and mixing.
This version also uses less ghee than many traditional mohanthal recipes. The complete recipe uses 2 tablespoons ghee during the first air-fryer roasting stage and another ¼ cup after grinding, for a total of 6 tablespoons. Traditional mohanthal recipes often use around ½ cup to 1 cup or more of ghee for a similar quantity of gram flour.
Using less ghee gives this version a slightly lighter and more crumbly texture rather than the very rich, soft texture of traditional halwai-style mohanthal. Allow it to set completely and cut the pieces slowly for the best result.
Quick Summary: Soak and grind chana dal, air fry at 180°C using 2 tablespoons ghee, cool and grind again, add ¼ cup ghee and roast at 170°C, mix in the quick sugar syrup, cook once more, then press, cool completely and cut gently.
Video recipe - Air fryer mohanthal
Ingredients
- Chana dal
- Water
- Ghee
- Powdered sugar
- Cardamom powder
- Pistachios
- Dried rose petals
Why Use Chana Dal Instead of Gram Flour?
Classic mohanthal recipes normally begin with besan or gram flour. This air fryer mohanthal starts one step earlier by soaking and grinding chana dal.
After the dal mixture is cooked and ground again, it develops a slightly coarse crumb. This helps create the grainy texture associated with mohanthal. Do not replace the soaked chana dal directly with the same quantity of dry besan because the amount of water and cooking time would be different.
How to Make Air Fryer Mohanthal
Step 1 and 2: Soak and Grind the Chana Dal
Soak 2 cups chana dal in plenty of water for 2 hours, drain well, grind with 1 cup water into a thick batter.
The batter should be thick and spoonable rather than thin or runny.
Step 3 and 4: Start Cooking in the Air Fryer
Line the air fryer tray with baking paper, add spoonfuls of the thick dal mixture, start cooking at 180°C.
Cook for about 25 minutes in total. Use 2 tablespoons ghee during this roasting stage, brushing it over the mixture as it cooks.
Pro Tip: Make sure the batter weighs down the baking paper before starting the air fryer so the paper cannot move towards the heating element.
Step 5 and 6: Brush with Ghee and Flip
Brush the mixture with some of the 2 tablespoons ghee, flip during cooking, brush again as needed, continue air frying until golden and firm.
The pieces do not need to look neat because they will be broken and ground in the next step.
Step 7 and 8: Grind and Roast with More Ghee
Allow the cooked dal mixture to cool, break into pieces, grind until fine but slightly coarse.
Transfer the ground mixture to an air-fryer-safe pan, add ¼ cup ghee, mix well, air fry at 170°C for 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: Allow the cooked dal to cool before grinding. Grinding it while very hot can make it more pasty instead of producing a crumbly, grainy mixture.
Step 9 and 10: Make the Quick Sugar Syrup
Add 1½ cups powdered sugar and cardamom powder to a bowl, pour in ¾ cup hot water, stir until the sugar dissolves.
You do not need to cook this sugar syrup separately or wait for one-string consistency. The sugar mixture will cook further after it is combined with the roasted chana dal mixture.
Step 11 and 12: Add the Syrup and Cook Again
Pour the sugar mixture over the roasted dal and ghee mixture, combine well, air fry at 170°C for another 10 minutes.
The mixture will absorb the syrup and thicken as it cooks. Mix during cooking if required so the sugar and dal mixture remain evenly combined.
Step 13: Press, Garnish and Allow to Set
Transfer the warm mohanthal mixture to a tray, press and level gently, top with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals, allow to cool completely at room temperature.
Pro Tip: This air fryer mohanthal has a slightly crumbly texture. Let it cool and set completely before cutting. Use a sharp knife and cut slowly and gently so the pieces hold together.
Variations
Saffron Mohanthal
Soak a few saffron strands in a little of the hot water before making the sugar mixture. Add it along with the cardamom for extra colour and aroma.
Pistachio and Almond Mohanthal
Top the warm mohanthal with sliced pistachios and almonds before it sets. Press the nuts lightly into the surface so they stay in place after cutting.
Rose Mohanthal
Add a small amount of rose water to the sugar mixture and finish with dried edible rose petals. Avoid adding too much extra liquid because it can make the mohanthal softer.
Substitutions
Granulated sugar: Grind regular sugar until fine if powdered sugar is unavailable. Finely powdered sugar dissolves more easily in hot water.
Pistachios: Replace with sliced almonds or use a mixture of almonds and pistachios.
Rose petals: Dried edible rose petals are optional and can simply be omitted.
Besan or gram flour: Do not substitute dry besan for soaked chana dal at a 1:1 ratio in this recipe. Besan has different hydration and roasting requirements. For a recipe specifically designed around roasted gram flour, try my air fryer besan ladoo.
Ghee: Ghee contributes significantly to the flavour and texture of mohanthal, so I recommend keeping it rather than replacing it with neutral oil.
Related recipes
Air Fryer Mohanthal
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Air-fryer-safe metal pan
- Sieve
- Mixing bowl
- Greased tray or plate
Ingredients
- 2 cups chana dal
- 1 cup water for grinding
- Water for soaking
- 2 tablespoons ghee for brushing and roasting during the first air fry
- ¼ cup ghee for the second roasting stage
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup hot water
- Cardamom powder to taste
- Chopped pistachios for garnish
- Dried edible rose petals for garnish
Instructions
- Wash the chana dal and soak it in a large bowl with plenty of water for 2 hours. Drain well.
- Blend the soaked dal with 1 cup water until thick and smooth.
- Line the air fryer tray with baking paper and spoon the dal mixture over it.
- Air fry at 180°C for approximately 25 minutes.
- During cooking, use 2 tablespoons ghee to brush the surface. Flip the mixture and brush with ghee again so it cooks and browns evenly.
- Remove the cooked mixture and allow it to cool.
- Break the cooked dal into pieces and grind until fine but slightly grainy.
- Transfer the ground mixture to an air-fryer-safe pan. Add ¼ cup ghee and mix thoroughly.
- Air fry at 170°C for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine 1½ cups powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Add ¾ cup hot water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the sugar mixture into the roasted chana dal mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Air fry at 170°C for another 10 minutes, mixing during cooking if required.
- Transfer the warm mixture to a tray and press it into an even layer.
- Top with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.
- Allow the mohanthal to cool completely at room temperature before cutting.
- Because the finished mohanthal is slightly crumbly, use a sharp knife and cut slowly and gently into squares or diamond-shaped pieces.
Video
Notes
FAQs
Yes. In this air fryer mohanthal recipe, powdered sugar is dissolved in hot water and then cooked with the chana dal mixture in the air fryer. You do not need to boil a separate sugar syrup or test for string consistency.
Not as a direct 1:1 replacement. This recipe uses soaked chana dal that is ground into a wet batter, cooked, cooled and ground again. Dry besan or gram flour absorbs water differently and requires a different roasting method.
This air fryer version naturally has a slightly crumbly texture. Allow it to cool completely before cutting, then use a sharp knife and cut slowly and gently. If the mixture is still very wet after cooling, it may need a few more minutes of cooking at 170°C before setting again.
Conclusion
This air fryer mohanthal recipe makes the traditional sweet more hands-off by replacing long stovetop roasting with staged air-fryer cooking. Starting with soaked chana dal creates a naturally grainy texture, while powdered sugar and hot water remove the need to judge sugar syrup string consistency.
The finished mohanthal is rich, slightly grainy and a little crumbly, so allow it to set completely and cut it slowly. For more Indian sweets made in the air fryer, try air fryer besan ladoo, air fried modak, or air fryer gur makhana.
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