By Ujjainee Roy
January 25, 2024
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Hyderabad's Jouzi Halwa which is made in a dessert store in the city's Old City is immensely popular with locals. The recipe dates back to 1913 and earned praises from the Nizam himself! Let's learn more about the sweet treat.
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The Hyderabadi Jouzi Halwa is an orange-ish red halwa is made with oat milk, sugar, ground almonds, cardamom and saffron. It also features generous doses of ghee which enhances its flavour.
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The Jouzi halwa is sold at Hyderabad’s Hameedi Confectioners which enjoys a cult-like status in the city. It was set up in 1913 when a 12-year-old-year-old Turkish boy named Muhammed Hussain started selling this delicacy.
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Impressed with the recipe, the Nizam not only sent a letter of appreciation bearing the royal seal to Hussain but also honoured the shop with a name inspired by his close relative, King Hamed of Turkey.
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The halwa is made over eight hours using milk, ghee, nutmeg, sugar, dried fruits, saffron, and secret spices imported from Afghanistan. The halwa also incorporates soaked barley extract which is key to its recipe.
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In Urdu, ‘jouz’ mean oats. Oat milk is key to the halwa's recipe as oat milk has a natural nuttiness which shows up in its profile quite easily and enhances the nutty flavours in the halwa.
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The proprietors of the store have revealed that the halwa's recipe features a secret ingredient, a special mix made with two-three dried fruits. This has been guarded by the owner's family for geenrations
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Did you know that Hameedi Confectioners produces a daily output of around 100-125 kg of halwa across its two branches?
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