It’s just another random evening, you suddenly smell the flour and almonds being roasted in ghee and in that moment you have a smile on your face.
We all have one or the other type of Halwa on top of our comfort food, often accompanied by some good memories.
The word ‘halwa’ comes from the Arabic word ‘Hulw’, which means sweet. Our halwa is a version of the original Middle Eastern dessert that was made from date paste and milk. The two of the earliest Indian cities to have Arab influence were the towns of Karachi and Kozhikode and thus, you can see Halwa as an integral part of food traditions in these cities.
Halwa isn’t just using the traditional ingredients of Sooji (semolina), Aata (wheat flour), or Besan (gram flour) but also with some very different ingredients like papaya, bottle gourd, pumpkin, almond, moong daal, and what not!
Even though halwa doesn’t originate from India, there are numerous varieties of Halwa celebrated all across the country. ‘Hari Mirch ka Halwa’ from Pune, ‘Kashi Halwa’ from Karnataka, ‘Cholar Dal Halwa’ from West Bengal, ‘Anda Halwa’ from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, ‘Karutha Haluwa’ from Kerala, and the most loved variant ‘Gajar ka Halwa’.
Whether it’s a festive occasion like Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, just any kind of puja, or just a random day your sweet tooth is acting up, any type of halwa is a must!
It’s so popular because it’s one of the best sweet delicacies and can also be made in large quantities with very minimal ingredients! Halwas are often one of the sweets presented to our gods, during pujas and special occasions, after all, it is such a soothing food item!
One of the first things I learned from my dadi was to make suji ka halwa, the way she would top it with all the dry fruits, I couldn’t wait to have a big bowl! Whenever I want to eat any type of halwa and I don’t have time to make it myself, I get it from Vijay Dairy. We have different types of halwa like Suji Halwa, Karachi halwa, Chiku halwa, Gajar ka Halwa and so many more! They make it fresh with pure ingredients!
I know you can’t wait to have some halwa yourself now! Let me share with you the recipe for Suji ka Halwa by Chef Kunal Kapur.
Ingredients
Ghee – ⅔ cup
Suji (semolina) – 1cup
Water – 3cups
Cardamom – 5no
Sugar – ¾ cup
Let’s make it!
In a pan mix together water, cardamom, and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir till the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and keep it.
In a separate pan heat ghee and add suji. Cook on low heat till golden brown.
Add the sugar syrup to the suji. Be careful as the suji will let off a lot of heat & steam when you add the syrup.
Stir and cook the suji on medium heat till it thickens.
Remove and serve hot.
Okay, how about a bonus? Let me share with you another recipe that I really love!
This recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is the easiest way to make aatte ka halwa! I promise you will love it! I already smell it!
Ingredients for Aate Ka Halwa Recipe
Whole wheat flour (atta) 4 tablespoons
Ghee 4 tablespoons
Almonds roughly chopped 8-10
Cashewnuts roughly chopped 8-10
Raisins 8-10
Green cardamom powder 1/2 teaspoon
Saffron (Kesar) 1/4 teaspoon
Jaggery (Gur) grated 1 cup
Let’s make it Traditional Halwa!
Heat ghee in a non-stick kadhai. Add mota atta and sauté on low heat till golden brown.
Add jaggery and mix well.
Add saffron and 1 cup hot water and cook, stirring continuously, till the mixture thickens.
Roughly chop cashew nuts and almonds add along with green cardamom powder and raisins and mix.