This blissful besan halwa is the best I’ve ever made. It converted even the non-dessert fans to absolutely love it. The recipe is an adapted from various sources, and made to my taste, after thorough research, so I can’t take full credit, but if you follow this as is, you will experience what I did i.e. bliss 🙂
Recipe:
Besan (chickpea flour – coarse) – 1 Cup
Khoya (mawa) – ½ Cup, grated/crumbled (To translate in english, khoya is kind of dried whole milk)
Ghee (clarified butter) – 1 Cup
Sugar – ¾ – 1 Cup, per taste
Almonds – 10, chopped/slivered
Water – 4 Cups* (Please read note 1 before starting the recipe)
Milk – 1 Cup
I recommend reading the notes added at the end of the recipe, first, before starting to make the halwa.
- Warm ghee to a big pan. Using a non-stick pan is highly preferable and recommended. Also take a vessel bigger than you think you would need. The halwa tends to splutter as soon as you add water to it.
- Add besan while ghee is warm. Saute’ continuously for about 12 minutes on a low to medium heat making sure it doesn’t burn. Add sugar once you think the raw flavor is gone.
- While you are sautéing besan, heat the required quantity of waterin a different vessel, on the side.
- After about 12 minutes of sautéing the besan and adding sugar, add the above hot water. Be very cautious of the spluttering, as mentioned in the note. Continue stirring for 2-3 more minutes.
- Add grated/crumbled khoya, and chopped/slivered almonds (saving some for garnish), while continuously sautéing the mixture.
- Depending upon how much water you have added, it might take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes of sautéing. It needs to get to a consistency where it’s moist, semi-liquid with most of the water has evaporated.
- At that point, add milk. continue sautéing for a few more minutes, until the halwa starts leaving the sides. Keep it moist and soft. Turn off the heat.
- Garnish with almonds and serve hot.
Enjoy the eternal joy of savoring the warm, blissful besan halwa 🙂
Notes:
*1) This was the best halwa I have ever tried – but it also took a long time, as I added 4 cups of water. The total process of making halwa took me about 55 minutes. If you don’t have that much time/patience, I highly recommend using 1 ½ cups of water instead of 4. The result would still be great.
2) Be very cautious as the halwa splutters, may be wear a glove on the hand you are using to stir the halwa.
3) The halwa tends to become brown soon, so the recipe will need your 100% attention while you are making it. A good idea is to measure and keep all the needed ingredients nearby before you start making the halwa.
4) Try re-heating it on the stove, if needed, instead of in a microwave. If you do use microwave, use it in increments of smaller duration. This tip goes for any halwa.
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