Atte Ka Halwa

Being a sweet dish, halwa is made on special occasions or festivals in most Indian households using different kinds of flour like suji (semolina) or atta (wholewheat flour) or mixing the two. When a new bride comes to her new home after marriage, she is expected to make a signature halwa dish and that is the way she makes it into the hearts of her in-laws. :-) 

It is fairly easy but still you need to be careful and keep stirring while roasting the flour in the ghee so that no lumps are formed.

Being a rich desert, it is eaten by topping it with chopped dry fruits or even by adding slightly roasted chopped dry fruits such as almonds, raisin, cashew while cooking. It is scooped in spoons and mostly eaten as it is. The better-half loves the epic puri-halwa combo wherein hot and velvety atte ka halwa or wholewheat sweet pudding is slathered on top of the soft poori and devoured slowly taking in the taste of halwa and poori in every bite. See the recipe to make hot and fluffy poori here.

The golden rule that I have learned and ingrained in my head for making Halwa as told by my wise mother is to always keep the ratio of flour:water as 1:4. For example, you are using 2 cups of flour, the water required to make it will be 8 cups.

Difficulty: Easy

Cooking Time: 20-25 min

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:

1 cup wholewheat flour

1 cup ghee

Sugar 6-7 tbsp

4 cups water

Method:

1) In a wok, add flour and ghee. On a low flame, keep stirring until a roasted fragrance of flour can be sensed.

2) Once the flour looks roasted and brown (but not burnt), slowly add water while stirring continuously with the other hand to make sure no lumps are formed. Keep stirring and bring to a boil.

3) Add sugar and stir. Turn of the gas once the halwa has thickened to a semi-fluid smooth consistency. Garnish with chopped almonds or roasted dry fruits of your choice. Serve hot.

How do you make your Halwa? Please share your recipes with me. I'd love to know how you make it.

Thanks for reading! :-)