Chandigarh's Beloved Besan Barfis Are Made by a Nonagenarian

Harbhajan Kaur is an entrepreneur who found her passion a little later than most. This hasn’t stopped her from being the most popular mithai maker in Punjab.

Ninety-eight year-old Harbhajan Kaur does not know Anand Mahindra. But that hardly matters. She knows exactly how long to roast gram flour to make perfectly melt-in-the-mouth barfis that the Chairman of the Mahindra Group knows her for — and even tweeted glowing praise for. Her entrepreneurial journey is remarkable, not least for its timing.

“I started cooking from my childhood; as a child I was a fond of cooking and eating both. My parents used to make almost everything at home,” says Harbhajan.

India is home to a depth of food and culinary culture. But above all else, the act of service and hospitality is held sacred — athithi devo bhava — the guest is god. The Punjab belt, as in other parts of India, has a rich culinary heritage, one where food and the act of cooking becomes a social bridge. Before kitty parties and tambola, the kitchen was a space of communion for women; recipes were exchanged with as much gusto as the neighbourhood news.

But at young Harbhajan's home in Tarn Taran (a short distance from Amritsar), her father was more than an equal participant in the kitchen. Speaking with fondness for sweets, Harbhajan recalls, "My father was a very good cook. Making besan barfi was a winter ritual in our family and he made the best ones! As a child I watched him keenly — that’s how I learnt to make it myself!”

It is hard to pinpoint the exact time this fudgy sweet came to be a beloved part of the Indian mithai pantheon. Some sources state that Mughal cooks invented it in a quest to prepare a confectionery that would not spoil through long expeditions or war. In Harbhajan's home alone, the recipe is more than a century old.

The doting grandmother has no qualms sharing her secret: “Patience. It is the single most important ingredient to a good besan barfi. From roasting the gram flour, to making the batter, then cooking on a low flame and stirring it right — it does need a lot of effort. And, of course the irreplaceable flavour of love and passion.”

But clearly, her love and patience have set her barfis apart. Anand Mahindra, tweeting about Harbhajan's spirit, called her ‘entrepreneur of the year’. His tweet went viral and her story was featured widely across newspapers and websites. When Raveena told her mother about the tweet, her only reaction was ‘Aa Kaun Hai Mahindra?’ (who is this Mahindra?).

The sweet taste of success came after a journey that is as savoury as it is inspiring. “The idea of starting this venture stemmed from an innocent comment four years ago. On an evening laced with nostalgia and emotion, my daughter asked if I had any regrets in my life. I told her my one disappointment was that I had never having earned a single penny of my own," says the nonagerian.

Though the thought ended there for Harbhajan, her daughter Raveena Suri, had other ideas. One of Chandigarh’s finest mithai stalls were borne of one woman’s innocently articulated dream, and the determination of a daughter. In 2016, the mother-daughter duo bought the ingredients for Harbhanjan’s master recipe, the besan barfi, also the family favourite. The first day of sales at a local mandi where Raveena accompanied her was nerve-wracking. “My mother was excited and nervous all at the same time. Her besan barfi and jars of tomato chutney sold out quickly, and she had earned ₹2000. She was elated. You could see how empowering that felt; her face was glowing! We were so happy and motivated, we decided to take this venture ahead,” describes Raveena Suri.

That humble first income, ₹2000 was not just her first earnings (at 90 years), it opened the doors to her zeal and ambition to achieve higher. Harbhajan Kaur had tasted how sweet success could be, and she was hooked. Harbhajan's brand was established soon after — with the tagline, ‘Bachapan yaad aa jaye’ coined by her granddaughter.

Today, Harbhajan Kaur prepares 4-5 kilograms of her sweet besan barfi every day. The quantity is increased at festive times and wedding season, and her sweetmeats are available to residents of Punjab and Haryana, where they are retailed at two restaurants owned by Harbhajan Kaur's grandson. Most of the sales (and popularity) have thus far been through word of mouth. Additionally, the brand also retails through the website Just My Roots.

Harbhajan's brand has found both appeal and loyalty. Monica Garg, a Chandigarh-based housewife swears the box of the barfis are the perfect gift for relatives, and carries it when she visits her son in Singapore. “I first had the barfi at a relative's home and was very impressed with how homely the flavour was. Not too much ghee, and because they were being made at home in the traditional way, I had no fear of adulteration or harmful preservatives. A box of Harbhajan's Barfis — or a few of them — when I visit my son at his college in Singapore, is the first thing I often pack for my trips abroad,” she says. It isn’t just mothers who want to send the sweet taste of home to families abroad. Amarinder Singh, the Chief Minister of Punjab, is also a fan of her barfis, sharing it with his 800,000 followers on Twitter. In time, Harbhajan Kaur hopes to cater to a country-wide audience, and expand her range of traditional culinary delights.

In addition to her mithai, Harbhajan Kaur also churns out traditional delights such as gur ka halwa, ghiyu ka halwa, and a host of traditional Punjabi pickles, varying with the seasons.

When asked what keeps her motivated, Harbhajan says, “I don’t like to sit idle. It is better to wear out than rest, that is what I believe. Doing what I am doing, keeps me happy and busy, and of course the appreciation — and an income earned with my own hands — keeps me motivated. My children and my grand children are my driving force.”

If you are in Chandigarh and would like to try the Harbhajan’s barfis, head to Four Folks in Sector 35 or Dastaan in Sector 7. You can also call +91-9888419943 to place your order. 

Devashish Vaid is a writer and photographer based out of Chandigarh.

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