Not Butter Chicken, Delhi Was Once Renowned For Its Sohan Halwa, Brief History Of The Sweet

After Aurangzeb’s death, Delhi was in a state of shambles. There was no Mughal ruler strong enough to fight the opponents, who came like a striking bolt, crippling a dynasty that ruled India for more than 300 years. Delhi was plundered and ravaged, and yet the Mughlai cuisine somehow thrived during the period, as the royal cooks were now out of the courts to fend for themselves. Besides, the usual suspects (read: korma, nihari, kebab) a bunch of flatbreads and desserts also found a place in the culinary map of Delhi, which. at the time was also heavily defined by the Hindu Kayastha, Baniya, and Punjabi (non-refugees) styles of cooking. 

Sohan Halwa is a sweet confection made out of halwa that is dripping with ghee. It is often circular in shape, and has a solid body that does not easily fragment into pieces. Loads of nuts are used to elevate the flavour of the dessert as well, as to add to the texture of the dessert.  

It is said that the dessert gained currency among the common folk during the Mughal era. It became a firm part of most celebratory occasions and social gatherings. It still enjoys a great fan-following in North India and Pakistan, where there are sweet shops that have become iconic landmarks due to their Sohan Halwas, like The Hafiz Sohan Halwa, a sweetmeat shop in Multan, Pakistan, that has been around since the year 1930.

Prepared by boiling a mixture of sugar, milk, water and cornflour, this halwa is not left velvety, it is cooked until it is solid. Saffron, imparts a lovely orange hue, while oodles of ghee make it every bit decadent. Ghee is also important, as the halwa is made in kadhai, and it ensures the flour doesn’t stick to the pan. Flavoured with almonds, cardamom and pistachios, this halwa screams indulgence.  

Unlike other halwas, it is in a shape of a disc or sometimes a rectangle. The Halwa is believed to be inspired by Persian Halwas. In fact, the words Sohan is also of Persian origin, and sohan-e-qom, is a brittle confection in Irani cuisine that looks very similar to Sohan Halwa. The Mughals, who were of Persian descent, made this Halwa popular in India as well.  

Sohan Halwa was such a beloved treat back in the day, that many sweet shops were known by their Sohan Halwas. Like the Ghantewala sweet shop that was established in the year 1790, in Old Delhi, in the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. The shop shut down in the year 2015, due to a dip in business, but their Sohan Halwa and Habshi Halwa continue to be the stuff of legends.  

After the partition in 1947, Delhi became synonymous with many delicacies that were brought over by the Punjabi refugees, like the butter chicken by Kundan Lal of Moti Mahal Dhaba, but the capital has and has had so much more on offer for foodies of all kinds throughout history, like the Sohan Halwa.