This sattu burfi in air fryer is an easy way to make a traditional Indian sweet with much less hands-on roasting. Chana sattu is first dry roasted in the air fryer, then cooked with ghee until aromatic and golden.
Instead of making a one-string or two-string sugar syrup, this version simply dissolves powdered sugar in hot water before mixing it with the roasted sattu. The result is a rich, nutty sattu barfi flavored with cardamom and topped with sliced almonds.
This is intentionally different from my traditional sattu ki barfi recipe, which is made on the stovetop with a cooked sugar syrup. Use that recipe when you want the classic method; this recipe focuses specifically on using the air fryer for the roasting.
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Video recipe - Sattu burfi in air fryer
Why Make Sattu Barfi in the Air Fryer?
The main advantage of using the air fryer is convenience. You can roast a large quantity of sattu without standing over a pan and stirring continuously. The flour cooks gradually in an air-fryer-safe pan, first on its own and then with ghee.
This is not necessarily a low-fat barfi, as ghee is still important for the traditional flavor and texture. The air fryer mainly makes the roasting easier and more hands-off. I use a similar staged roasting method for my air fryer besan ladoo.
Quick Summary: Dry roast chana sattu at 170°C for 10 minutes, add ghee and roast for another 20 minutes, mix powdered sugar with hot water, combine everything with cardamom, then press into a greased tray and allow it to set.
Ingredients
- Chana sattu
- Ghee
- Powdered sugar
- Hot water
- Cardamom powder
- Sliced almonds
For this barfi recipe, use plain chana sattu made from roasted gram. Sattu and regular besan are not exactly interchangeable for this method because sattu has already been roasted before it is ground.
How to Make Sattu Burfi in Air Fryer
1. Sift the chana sattu
Pass the chana sattu through a sieve, break up any large lumps, keep the sifted sattu ready for roasting.
2. Dry roast the sattu
Transfer the sifted sattu to an air-fryer-safe metal pan, spread evenly, air fry at 170°C for 10 minutes.Cover with a perforated tray before it starts cooking.
Pro Tip: Sattu is already made from roasted chana, so the aim here is to deepen its nutty aroma rather than heavily brown it. Air fryers vary, so check the flour if your model cooks strongly from the top.
3. Add the ghee
Pour melted ghee over the dry-roasted sattu, mix thoroughly until the ghee is evenly distributed.
4. Roast the sattu with ghee
Return the pan to the air fryer, roast at 170°C for 20 minutes, mix during cooking if the top is browning faster than the rest.
The mixture should become deeper in color and smell noticeably nutty. Do not continue roasting simply to make it very dark, as the sattu can develop a bitter taste.
5. Mix powdered sugar with hot water
Add hot water to the powdered sugar, stir well until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
This method avoids the need to cook and test a traditional string-consistency sugar syrup.
6. Add the sugar mixture and cardamom
Pour the dissolved sugar into the warm roasted sattu, add cardamom powder, mix immediately so the liquid is evenly absorbed.
7. Mix until smooth
Mix until the sattu, ghee and sugar mixture comes together into a thick, smooth paste with no dry patches.
Pro Tip: Do not add extra water just because the mixture initially looks thick. Keep mixing first, as the warm ghee and sugar mixture will gradually combine with the sattu.
8. Set the sattu barfi
Transfer the mixture to a greased tray, spread and level the surface, sprinkle sliced almonds on top, press them gently into the barfi.
Allow the sattu burfi to cool completely and become firm before cutting it into squares or diamonds.
Variations
Pistachio sattu barfi: Add finely chopped pistachios along with the sliced almonds.
Saffron variation: Add a few saffron strands to the hot water before mixing it with the powdered sugar.
Sattu ladoo: Instead of pressing the warm mixture into a tray, allow it to cool enough to handle and shape it into small ladoos.
Extra nutty barfi: Add finely chopped almonds or pistachios to the mixture as well as using them on top.
Substitutions
Chana sattu: Use plain roasted chana sattu for this recipe. Regular raw besan needs different roasting and should not be substituted using the same timings.
Powdered sugar: If you only have granulated sugar, grind it into a fine powder before measuring. Jaggery behaves differently when mixed with water, so I recommend using powdered sugar for this particular no-syrup method.
Almonds: Replace them with pistachios, cashews, or simply leave the nuts off.
Ghee: Ghee contributes both flavor and texture to this Indian barfi recipe. Replacing it with another fat will change the final taste and setting, so I recommend keeping the ghee for this version.
Recipe Card
Sattu Burfi in Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Air-fryer-safe metal pan
- Sieve
- Mixing bowl
- Greased tray or plate
Ingredients
- 3 cups chana sattu
- ¾ cup ghee melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds for garnish
Instructions
- Sift the chana sattu to remove lumps and transfer it to an air-fryer-safe metal pan.
- Air fry the sattu at 170°C for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan, pour in the melted ghee and stir until the sattu is evenly coated.
- Return the pan to the air fryer and cook at 170°C for another 20 minutes. Stir during roasting if required for even cooking.
- While the sattu is finishing, combine the powdered sugar with ½ cup hot water and mix until the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove the roasted sattu from the air fryer. Add cardamom powder and pour in the sugar mixture.
- Mix thoroughly until everything combines into a thick, smooth mixture.
- Grease a tray or plate with a little ghee and spread the mixture evenly.
- Top with sliced almonds and press them gently into the surface.
- Allow the barfi to cool and set completely, then cut into squares or diamonds.
Video
Notes
FAQs
Chana sattu is already made from roasted gram, so it does not require the same amount of cooking as raw besan. In this air fryer recipe, I still dry roast the sattu for 10 minutes at 170°C to deepen its nutty flavor before adding the ghee.
Yes. This recipe does not require cooking sugar to a string consistency. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with ½ cup hot water until dissolved, then combine it with the warm roasted sattu and cardamom.
Allow the barfi to cool completely before judging the texture, as the ghee firms as it cools. Too much water can also leave the mixture softer, so measure the hot water rather than adding it gradually by eye. If needed, chill the cooled tray briefly before cutting.
Conclusion
This sattu burfi in air fryer keeps the familiar combination of chana sattu, ghee, sugar and cardamom while making the roasting process much easier. Dry roasting first develops the flavor, the second air fryer stage combines the sattu with ghee, and using powdered sugar with hot water removes the need to judge sugar-syrup string consistency.
If you enjoy adapting traditional Indian desserts for the air fryer, try my easy air fryer besan ladoo or browse the complete collection of air fryer Indian sweets and desserts. For the traditional stovetop version, see the original sattu ki barfi.
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