This easy, velvety Sweet Potato Halwa recipe is a nutritious, delightful twist on traditional Indian desserts. Perfectly sweet and rich, this healthy Shakarkand Halwa showcases the best of traditional Indian sweets using simple, everyday ingredients. Inspired by an Instagram video my daughter shared, I knew I had to try making this Sakkaravalli Kizhangu Halwa at home. With fresh sweet potatoes on hand, I followed these foolproof, step-by-step instructions. The result? An absolutely tasty and nutritious dessert on my very first attempt that is incredibly quick and easy to make!

Kalyana Kesari Recipe: Wedding Style Melt in Mouth Rava Kesari

    When I made Pear Halwa, I wanted to make Halwa with Apples too.  Though I had given a try making Apple Halwa during my early years of cooking, I had never given a second thought of perfecting it or trying it out again.  Recently I have been trying out new recipes out of Apples that I have landed upon making an all new Apple Sago Payasam and Apple Halwa out of it.  Even our New Year Dessert turned out to be Apple Pie.  And have brewed a batch of Apple Wine too.  These recipes are new at home and are my experimental versions, perfected out.

    I followed the same method as for Kasi Halwa(Poosanikkai Halwa) for this Apple Halwa recipe. It is such an easy recipe and you would need just 3 ingredients, Apple, Sugar & Ghee.  Other ingredients are optional, but I insist you to add them. So adding a bit of Cardamom Powder gives you a wonderfully flavoured and garnishing it with an extra bit of slivered Almonds & Cashew nuts fried in ghee which gives a whole lot of crunchy texture in every bite. I have not added Milk/Mawa in this recipe. If you love the aroma of Cinnamon & Nutmeg in Apple recipes, then you can even add them in this Apple Halwa.  You have no strict rules while making this Halwa. Apples with its unique taste & the roasted slivered Nuts add texture to this Halwa. 

    Just one thing to remember - Use the grated Apples immediately.  Otherwise, it tends to get oxidized & the colour of the Halwa may turn dark. No need of squeezing out any extra water in it. Add the grated Apples into the Ghee and cook it on a low flame until it turns soft &tender. Let the mixture be dry before adding sugar & flavourings into it. And when it comes to Sugar, I have added 1/4 Cup of Sugar for 2 Cups of Apple. If you are using a sweet variety, I suggest you to adjust it accordingly.

     Apple Halwa is an easy recipe which can be made with minutes.  When you have a sweet craving or want a simple dessert for a party, this Apple Halwa comes out to be  handy.  You can also serve it as a Naivedhyam or Prasadham too.

 For more INDIAN SWEETS, Click here...

 Cuisine - Indian

 Recipe Type - Sweet

 Difficulty - Medium

 Serves - 2-3

 Author - SM  

 Preparation Time - 15 -20 Minutes.

 Cooking Time - 20-30 Minutes.

 For more DIWALI RECIPES, Click here...

HOW TO COOK APPLE HALWA 

INGREDIENTS:

For Apple Halwa:

Ghee - 3-4 Tbspns

Cashew Nuts - 10 Nos.

Almonds - 10 Nos. 

Apple - 2 Cups

Sugar - 1/4 Cup

Cardamom - 2-3 Pods

Saffron - few Strands

Yellow Food Colouring - few Drops(Optional)

 Salt - a Pinch

METHOD:

Preparation:

• Grind Cardamoms along with few teaspoons of sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Soak Saffron strands in few teaspoons of warm water.
• Sliver the Nuts and keep them aside. 
• Wash, peel & core the Apples & then cut them into halves.
• Remove the Seeds.
• Grate the Apples using a grater.
• Use the grated Apples immediately. 

For Apples Halwa:

• Heat 3 Tbspn of Ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, roast the slivered, Almonds & Cashew Nuts.
• Add the grated Apples and cook on a medium-low flame for a few minutes.
• Cook the Apples until it turns soft & tender.
• Cook until the Apples turn dry and there is no water.
• Now add the sugar along with Saffron soaked Water, Cardamom Powder and give a quick stir.
• Add a few drops of yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame for about 5-7 Minutes.
• At this stage, Apple Halwa starts to bubble up.
• Now add a Tablespoon of Ghee and give a quick stir.
• Cook this on a low flame for another 5-7 Minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt and the remaining Ghee to the Halwa and mix well.
• When the Ghee starts to separate & the Apple Halwa begins to leave the sides of the pan, switch off the fire. 
• Serve Apple Halwa hot or at room temperature.
• Can keep it refrigerated.  
• Lasts up to a week when refrigerated. 
• The texture of the Halwa remains the same even when refrigerated.

NOTES:

• I have used Red Royal Gala Apples in this recipe.  Can prepare the same recipe with Green Apples too.  
• Adjust the amount of Sugar to suit the variety of Apple.
• Grate the Apples evenly, which would facilitate even cooking.
• Once the Apples are grated, use it immediately.
• Otherwise, the Apples may tend to get oxidized.
• There is no need to squeeze the extra water out of the Apples.
• It helps the Apples to get cooked well.
• Saute the grated Apples and cook it along with the water until it turns soft, cooked and there is no more water content, before adding the sugar. 
• Some recipes call for adding Milk in the recipe.
• Can use 1/4 Cup of Milk and cook for an extra bit of time until the mixture turns dry before adding the sugar.
• Perfectly cooked Apples gives a perfect texture to the Halwa.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.
• I have flavoured the Halwa with Cardamom Powder.
• Adding a bit of extra Ghee will give a rich texture to the Apple Halwa.
• Adding Saffron is purely optional.
• Adding artificial food colouring is purely optional.
• I have added a few drops of yellow food colouring to the Apple Halwa. Can use orange/green food colouring too.
• Adding a pinch of salt to the Halwa is purely optional, but it helps to balance the overall taste of the dessert.

KARACHI HALWA - BOMBAY HALWA

    In my opinion, Indian Sweets are quite tricky when the recipe asks for Sugar Syrup with string-level consistency. 1 String... 2 Strings... 3 Strings, and there I fall out slipping on the strings. Ironically I was finding it difficult to perfect it. Least to mention the trial & errors, few recipes went into the trash, some left alone with the idea that I cannot master it at all & so on. So all these years you wouldn't have noticed any hardcore Indian Sweets in my blog, even the classic ones like Laddoo & Mysorepak.

     

    Recently I got along with this Sugar Syrup consistency and frankly speaking, I mastered some classic Indian Sweets like Laddoo, Mysore pak, Badusha & Halwas. Well, the secret is that the recipes didn't strictly follow any of these specific levels of string consistency. So, the Indian Sweet recipes which are to follow, are for beginners or for people who have always struggled with Sugar consistencies, like me.

 

    Well, Karachi Halwa is one such recipe which needs to be cooked in Sugar Syrup, but yet doesn't need any particular string consistency to adhere. So, this Karachi Halwa is going to be an easy Indian Sweet a beginner can master even for the first time. A foolproof recipe, which needs just 3 Ingredients - Corn Flour, Sugar & Water. Then you can add Ghee & Cardamom for an added texture & flavour. If you need an extra crunchiness in this melt in mouth Karachi Halwa, then go ahead and add a handful of nuts to it.

 

    Karachi Halwa or Bombay Halwa or simply Corn Flour Halwa is a popular Indian Sweet made in an Indian Household & a sweet sold in Bakeries. I still remember the way it is sold - as a single piece of Karachi Halwa packed in a see-through plastic paper with a default green colour sticker which comes out to be the brand name and also a sticker which sticks the plastic wrap around the Halwa. I am not sure whether it is still sold like this. A deep Orange coloured Halwa with nuts in between with a melt-in-mouth soft consistency, mildly sweetened & flavoured. 

 

    Karachi Halwa is an easy & simple recipe. It requires minimal ingredients & less time. And above all, this is a foolproof recipe. If you are in short of time or with an idea of adding up a few quick-fix delicacies for the upcoming Diwali, then this recipe would be an absolute choice. And above all, Karachi/Bombay Halwa lasts longer compared to its counterpart Halwas which are Fruit-based/Lentil based. Prepare this Karachi Halwa ahead, store it in the refrigerator and microwave it for a few seconds before serving them. When reheated it would turn out to be moist, glossy and soft.

 

Few points to remember while making this Karachi Halwa:

 

• Stir the Corn Flour with Water by adding little water at a time. 
• Pour the water gradually and mix it thoroughly. 
  
• Make sure there are no lumps in the corn flour slurry.
• Use water @ room temperature to mix the cornflour.
• Boil the sugar until it dissolves and the Sugar syrup comes to a boil on a medium-high flame.
• Switch off the flame and gradually pour in the corn flour slurry to avoid any kind of lumps.
• Cook Karachi Halwa, stirring the ingredients continuously throughout the process.
• Add ample of Ghee for an added note of richness & texture.
• Use a heavy-bottomed well seasoned Kadai or preferably a non-stick pan to cook this Halwa.
• Grease the bowl in which you are are going to set the Halwa.
  

  

 HOW TO MAKE KARACHI HALWA - 

BOMBAY HALWA/CORN FLOUR HALWA

KARACHI HALWA - BOMBAY HALWA

INGREDIENTS:

For Corn Flour Mixture:

Corn Flour - 1 Cup

Water - 2 Cups

For Karachi Halwa/Bombay Halwa:

Sugar - 2 Cups

Water - 2 Cups 

Lemon Juice - 1 Tspn

Cardamom Powder - 3/4 Tspn

Red Food Colouring - few drops

Ghee - 5-6 Tbspn 

Cashew Nuts - few 

Almonds - few

METHOD:

Preparation:

• In a bowl, mix Corn Flour with 2 Cups of water into a thin batter without any lumps. Keep it aside.
• Cut Cashewnuts & Almonds into small pieces and keep it aside.
• Grind the Cardamoms with Sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.

For Karachi Halwa:

• Add 2 Cups of Sugar into a heavy-bottomed/non-stick pan along with 2 Cups of Water and mix well.
• Boil it on a medium-high flame stirring it continuously, until the sugar dissolves and the Sugar Syrup boils.
• Add a teaspoon of Lemon Juice and give a quick stir. 
• What you need is to just boil the sugar syrup.
• Now, switch off the flame and then gradually pour in the Corn Flour mixture and mix well.
• Again, switch on the flame and cook on a low flame, stirring continuously. until the cornflour mixture thickens.
• It will thicken & turn glossy in due coarse.
• Now, pour in the orange food colouring and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame stirring it continuously.
• The mixture will turn shiny & glossy at this stage.
• Pour in 11/2 Tablespoons of Ghee and mix well.
• Cook on a low flame for about 5 minutes, stirring it continuously.
• Add in the Cardamom Powder, Cashew Nuts & Almonds cut into small pieces and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame for another 5 minutes, stirring it continuously.
• Cook until the Karachi Halwa starts to leave the sides and the pan. 
• Pour in another 11/2 Tablespoons of Ghee and mix well.
• Cook for another 2-3 minutes stirring it continuously.
• The Halwa would start to move along with the spatula while you stir it.
• Now, switch off the flame. 
• Meanwhile, grease a tray into which you are going to set the Halwa.
• Grease the tray with a little bit of Ghee.
• Layer a few small pieces of Cashew Nuts & Almonds on the greased tray.
• Pour the Karachi Halwa mixture into the greased tray, spread it out equally & level it up.
• Allow it to cool & leave it aside to set for about 30-45 Minutes.
• Once set, gently flip the Halwa into another greased tray.
• Cut it up into squares and store it in an airtight container.
• If stored properly, lasts for about 3-4 days @ room temperature.
• Lasts up to 7 -10 days when refrigerated. Microwave for a few second before serving.

NOTES: 

• Stir the Corn Flour with Water and make sure there are no lumps in it.
• Let the water be @ room temperature.
• Boil the sugar until it dissolves and the Sugar syrup comes to a boil on a medium-high flame.
• What you need is to boil the sugar syrup.
• Swich off the flame and gradually pour in the Corn Flour Mixture.
• Cook Karachi Halwa, stirring the ingredients continuously throughout the process.
• Add ample of Ghee for an added note of richness & texture.
• Use a heavy-bottomed well seasoned Kadai or preferably a non-stick pan to cook this Halwa.

PEAR HALWA

    As sceptical as ever, my daughter lifted her brow when I handed her a bowl of Halwa. Though I didn't mention what it was, she was damn sure that it was experimental. It looked like Kasi Halwa(Poosanikai Halwa) she was trying to find what the base ingredient was. She said some fruit, maybe apple and I said, it was Pear Halwa. She is biased when it comes to experimental recipes like this though she loved the texture of the Halwa, especially the texture of crunchy nuts in it. My next victim was my husband, who ate it with no comment. Then asked for an extra serving, I knew it was good. Have made this Pear Halwa three times in a row, just with the idea of finishing a whole lot of Pear.

    Why Pear Halwa? When you end up with having a few Pears just bland, eating it as such was not working & I was wondering what I could make out of it. And there I went with my whims & fancies & tried to recreate a version of Halwa with Pears. I was totally convinced with the results, perfected the measurements in my second attempt & here you go with the recipe. Trust me you can surely give a try & it is not going to disappoint you at all. 

    I followed the same method as for Kasi Halwa(Poosanikkai Halwa). Pear Halwa is prepared with Pears, Sugar, Ghee and Cardamom Powder and garnished with an extra bit of slivered Almonds & Cashew nuts fried in ghee which gives a whole lot of crunchy texture in every bite. I have not added Milk in this recipe. You have no strict rules while making this Halwa. Pears with its unique taste & the roasted slivered Nuts add texture to this Pear Halwa. And above all, this is an easy recipe & can be incorporated within minutes. 

    Just one thing to remember - Use the grated Pears immediately.  Otherwise, it tends to get oxidized & the colour of the Halwa may turn dark. No need of squeezing out any extra water in it. Add the grated Pears into the Ghee and cook it on a low flame until it turns soft &tender. Let the mixture be dry before adding sugar & flavourings into it. And when it comes to Sugar, I have added 1/4 Cup of Sugar for 2 Cups of Pear. The Pear I used was not sweet. If you are using a sweet variety, I suggest you to adjust it accordingly.

 For more INDIAN SWEETS, Click here...

 Cuisine - Indian

 Recipe Type - Sweet

 Difficulty - Medium

 Serves - 2-3

 Author - SM  

 Preparation Time - 15 -20 Minutes.

 Cooking Time - 20-30 Minutes.

 For more DIWALI RECIPES, Click here...

HOW TO COOK PEAR HALWA 

PEAR HALWA

INGREDIENTS:

For Pear Halwa:

Ghee - 3-4 Tbspns

Cashew Nuts - 10 Nos.

Almonds - 10 Nos. 

Pear - 2 Cups

Sugar - 1/4 Cup

Cardamom - 2-3 Pods

Saffron - few Strands

Yellow Food Colouring - few Drops(Optional)

 Salt - a Pinch

METHOD:

Preparation:

• Grind Cardamoms along with few teaspoons of sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Soak Saffron strands in few teaspoons of warm water.
• Sliver the Nuts and keep them aside. 
• Wash, peel & cut the Pears into halves.
• Remove the Seeds.
• Grate the Pears using a grater.
• Use the grated Pears immediately. 

For Pear Halwa:

• Heat 3 Tbspn of Ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, roast the slivered, Almonds & Cashew Nuts.
• Add the grated Pears and cook on a medium-low flame for a few minutes.
• Cook the Pears until it turns soft & tender.
• Cook until the Pears turn dry and there is no water.
• Now add the sugar along with Saffron soaked Water, Cardamom Powder and give a quick stir.
• Add a few drops of yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame for about 5-7 Minutes.
• At this stage, Pear Halwa starts to bubble up.
• Now add a Tablespoon of Ghee and give a quick stir.
• Cook this on a low flame for another 5-7 Minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt and the remaining Ghee to the Halwa and mix well.
• When the Ghee starts to separate & the Pear Halwa begins to leave the sides of the pan, switch off the fire. 
• Serve Pear Halwa hot or at room temperature.
• Can keep it refrigerated.  
• Lasts up to a week when refrigerated. 
• The texture of the Halwa remains the same when refrigerated.

PEAR HALWA

NOTES:

• Grate the Pears evenly, which would facilitate even cooking.
• Once the Pears are grated, use it immediately.
• Otherwise, the Pears may tend to get oxidized.
• There is no need to squeeze the extra water out of the Pear.
• It helps the Pears to get cooked well.
• Saute the grated Pears and cook it along with the water until it turns soft, cooked and there is no more water content, before adding the sugar. 
• Some recipes call for adding Milk in the recipe.
• Can use 1/4 Cup of Milk and cook for an extra bit of time until the mixture turns dry before adding the sugar.
• Perfectly cooked Pears gives a perfect texture to the Halwa.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.
• I have flavoured the Halwa with Cardamom Powder.
• Adding a bit of extra Ghee will give a rich texture to the Pear Halwa.
• Adding Saffron is purely optional.
• Adding artificial food colouring is purely optional.
• I have added a few drops of yellow food colouring to the Pear Halwa. Can use orange/green food colouring too.
• Adding a pinch of salt to the Halwa is purely optional, but it helps to balance the overall taste of the dessert.

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