The sweetmeat that has been in the country for decades, halwa continues to be a popular choice when it comes to desserts. A simple atta and sooji (semolina) ka halwa are quick and easy renditions of this beloved sweet pudding in northern parts of the country. However, central and south Indian too have their own versions of this delicious halwa. Although the origins of halwa can be traced back to the Turks where this dish was born, the fanfare of halwa in our country today is unmatched.
On my visit to the City of Dreams, Mumbai, I was amazed at the fast-paced life, the contrasting ancient and modern infrastructure as well as the craze for quick and easy street food. Vada pavs, keema pavs, dabeli, missal pav and what not! Pav formed an intrinsic part of their street food fare. On the last day, we decided to buy some souvenirs to take home along with some specialties of the city. Formerly known as Bombay, the city of Mumbai led us to discover some amazing sweet treats too. While I got some kesar modaks packed for my family, a friend of mine kept searching for a specific halwa in that sweet shop.
Repeatedly asking shop after shop for a Karachi halwa, she finally found her spot. Once the box of packed sweets arrived, we were a little surprised to see that it looked nowhere close to the halwa we were used to having. It was square-cut pieces, more like barfi, which were brown in colour and loaded with nuts. While Karachi halwa is quite famous in Mumbai, it is Mahim’s Ice halwa that has an equal, if not larger, fan following.
De-Frosting The Ice Halwa
Paper-thin squares of ivory-coloured sweet is what the Ice halwa looks like. Yes, it is not made of ice. Instead, the halwa is not even a pudding. Just like the Karachi halwa, it is solid and cut into squares like barfi. The halwa is made from cornflour and milk and is layered to form a solid chunk of sweet meat. It is light as a paper which is why it is even called paper halwa sometimes.
The origins of the halwa can be traced to Mahim, which was one of the seven islands of Bombay in the earlier days. The halwa is often referred to as Mahim halwa even though both are quite different from each other. The Ice halwa gets its name from the colour and preparation of the sweet. Dusted off with iced sugar, the ivory-colour pieces of Ice halwa are doused with a host of crunchy nuts on top.
The dessert can be attributed to MohanLal Mithaiwala who are considered to be the pioneers of this sweet and have been selling it for years since then. The original recipe and the preparation is still followed, even though novel variations have come up in the recent past.
What makes Ice halwa different from the Mahim halwa is the colour. The former has an ivory tint while the latter boasts of a sunset hue. The thickness and the taste of the two halwas also vary, with the only thing being common between the two is the fact that both were invented in the small island of Mahim years ago.