Preparation of Magas:

• Warm 3 tbsp milk and 2 tbsp ghee in a small pan over low heat till the ghee melts.
• Heat the remaining 3 tbsp of milk till it becomes hot. Add saffron strands to it. Mix well and leave it on the side till required.
• Add besan flour into a big bowl. Add the ghee milk mixture and rub it into the flour till it appears lumpy.
• Cover the flour with a lid or plate and let it rest for 15-30 minutes.
• Take a sieve with medium hole and strain the flour. Use you hand to rub the flour through the sieve till none is left in it.
• The flour should resemble like bread crumbs or semolina.
• Heat 150g ghee in a pan over low heat till it melts.
• Add the coarse besan flour.
• Roast the flour in the ghee over low heat, stirring all the time till it becomes brown in colour. This takes about 20-25 minutes.
• At first the mixture of ghee and besan flour will appear like a paste. Once the flour begins to get roasted, it will turn liquidy.
• Add 1 tbsp  of the milk and saffron mixture and stir. Add another tbsp and stir well. Finally add the last tbsp of milk and mix well. This helps to develop the crunchy texture of magas.
• Add almond flour and roast it for 1 minute, stirring the mixture all the time.
• Take the pan off the heat. Add cardamom, nutmeg and mace powder and mix well.
• Let the mixture cool down.
• Add sugar and mix well.
• Grease a 8 X 8 inches tray or a small one with some ghee.
• Add the sugar, the mixture will turn a bit liquid like, but not too much.
• Add the magas mixture into the prepared tray. Bang the tray lightly on the worktop to level out the mixture. Or you can roll them into balls.
• Sprinkle the topping immediately. Press it into the magas  lightly with a spoon.
• Let the magas set for 1-2 hours. At this stage you can cut the magas into squares or diamond shape. This stage is important as when the magas sets completely, it becomes difficult to cut into pieces.
• Let the magas  set completely in the tray. This will take 4-6 hours or overnight depending on the weather. Since the weather is cold in Bangalore, the magas set in about 6 hours time.
• Remove the pieces from the tray very carefully and store in a container.
• Magas stays at room temperature for about 2-3 weeks. However in warmer weather, its best to store it in the fridge after a week or so.