Sweets · Mitharaan
Halwo
Corn flour sweetmeat with nuts
A mitho (sweet), set halwa of corn starch cooked in a little ghee, then with a 1-string sugar syrup flavoured with lime juice, cardamom and food colour, plus chopped nuts and more ghee, until the mass leaves the sides of the pan. It is poured onto a greased thali, set and cut into pieces. A traditional sweet for festive occasions and religious ceremonies.
Ingredients
Make
Measure in
Cups are shown in grams or ml; spoons stay as spoons. Panja Khada’s own weights are used where they give them (1 cup of flour is 150 g, rice or dal 200 g, curd 225 g, milk or water 240 ml), and standard kitchen weights otherwise.
Method
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In a pot (toap), mix the water and sugar and put it on a medium flame. Add the lime juice, food colour and cardamom powder. Cook until a 1-string sugar syrup is formed, then set aside.
Put 2 tsp of the ghee in a non-stick pan and add the diluted corn starch. Set it on a low flame and stir constantly until the mixture turns slightly thick.
Switch off the flame. Add half of the hot sugar syrup a little at a time, stirring constantly so that no lumps form.
Turn the stove on again at a low flame, then add the remaining sugar syrup and the chopped nuts, stirring constantly.
As soon as the mixture starts to thicken, slowly pour in the rest of the ghee (about 3 tbsp), a little at a time. Keep stirring until the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan.
Pour the mixture into a greased thali (plate), let it cool and set, and cut into pieces.
My notes
Your family’s way with this recipe, or a reminder for next time. Kept on this phone or computer, and shown in cook mode.
Tips and variations
Colour can be yellow or orange (a pinch or a few drops).
Serve with
Served at room temperature; lasts up to 10 days. A traditional sweet for festive occasions and religious ceremonies.
Nutrition
EstimatedPer serving
330 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrate
- 40 g
- Fat
- 19 g
We estimate about 3 servings from the weight of the dish.
Whole recipe
980 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrate
- 119 g
- Fat
- 56 g
Everything in the ingredients list.
These are estimates, worked out from the amounts in the recipe and typical values for each ingredient. Portion sizes and the exact amount of oil, ghee or sugar can change them a lot. How we estimate
Good to know
Key points
Cook the syrup to 1-string consistency on a medium flame. Cook the corn starch on a low flame only until it thickens slightly. Add the first half of the hot syrup off the heat, so that no lumps form, and the rest of the ghee only once the mixture starts to thicken. It is done when it leaves the sides of the pan; then set it on a thali.
Where this recipe comes from
Recipe from Panja Khada by Bharat and Deepa Chachara.
See the original recipe and photos