The charm of holding and digging into a bowl of warm halwa be it gajar ka, badam ka, moong dal ka is beyond imagination. This sweet something dessert sees a very interesting history, while some say it's from Turkey and some say it's from Arab. Flipping through several books they do mention the origins of Halwa in Arabic lands. In the book ‘Feasts and Fasts’ by Colleen Taylor Sen she it says that the halwa arrived in our country during the Delhi Sultanate, lets say around early 13th to the mid 16th century.
Thought over the years halwa saw many transition in it’s taste, texture and ingredients too but the Arab-influenced halwa is much distinct in texture. The Mughal or the Persian influenced on the halwas saw it much richer and more innovative. Be it from various dals (moong and chana lentils) to vegetables like (carrots, bottlegourd etc) to the much rich and exotic ones like those with nuts (Badam ka Halwa ) saw loaded with ghee and cooked with milk to perfection adding the silver varq (or gold) elevated the status of the halwa making it into an elusive delicacy.
Chef Rajesh Roy, Executive chef Le Meridien Gurgaon adds “During my childhood, my father used to often bring home sweets like gulab jamun, rasmalai etc., and they used to be so delicious and would instantly bring happiness to all my family members. Ever since then I always had a fondness in my heart towards Indian sweets. I was 15 when I made my first sweet dish, which was malai gilori, a very famous sweetmeat at my place that people are always crazy for. From that day onwards I knew that the right step towards achieving my dream.”
The halwa surely has seen quiet a journey and this dish called by different names like halava in Sanskrit, Halawa in Egypt, Makedonikos Halvas in Greece, and so on do you know that in Egypt, the same ‘halawa’ was a truffle-shaped dish made with just ghee, flour, and sugar. And yes any form of halwa is always a delight.
Here are two exclusive halwa recipes from chef
Beetroot And Badam Halwa
INGREDIENTS
1) Grated Beetroot - 1 kg
2) Milk - 1lit
3) Sugar – 400gm
4) Roasted pistachio – 200gm
5) Cardamom powder – 20gm
6) Ghee – 200gm
METHOD
1) On medium heat put a non-stick pan on stove and ghee, roast beets in ghee about 6 minutes.
2) Add milk, Cardamom powder and mix thoroughly. Cook until milk is reduce.
3) Lastly, reduce heat and add sugar, roasted and crushed pistachios.
4) Stirred until cooked and any excess liquid is evaporated, turn off the gas.
Serve halwa in silver plate with silver leaf and chopped pistachio on top.
Almond And Kiwi Halwa
INGREDIENTS
1) Almond – 500gm
2) Kiwi - 300gm
3) Sugar – 300gm
4) Ghee – 300gm
5) Cardamom powder – 10gm
METHOD
1) Blanch almond in water, then grind 400gm of almond in powder and rest in chunks.
2) Cook almond powder in ghee until almond powder leaves ghee.
3) Add 200gm of sugar in that.
4) On side peel kiwi and grind it, cook that kiwi in 100gm of sugar.
5) Mix both the mixture and keep cooking till the mixture is dry.
Serve halwa in bowl with chopped almond on top.