The Halwa collection

When it comes t0 the Diwali time, the best of my memories are all about the halwas. This was probably because the colourful slices of Karachi halwa that come in the gift boxes were the only way amma will get them in the house. The chewy halwa therefore always precious and always the first to be gobbled up amidst her chants. However as time went by and I learnt to cook, there was a plethora of halwa recipes, each unique in its own way. These were not nasty and catered perfectly to the mild sweet toothed ones too. So here is the halwa collection for you to amp your sweettooth.

What is halwa?

Halwas is a unique preparation of a flour slurry cooked down with a sweetener. This further adapted to the use of fruits, seeds and vegetables etc that gave density to the slurry. This unique confectionery probably originated in Persia, who were the master confectioners at that time. the Ottoman empire adopted this treat and was popular in all of South Asian countries through the traders. The root word originates in Arabic and the dessert is variety called halwa, halawa or halva.

Varieties of halwa

The original halva were the cooked down mix of date paste, milk and some nuts and seeds. This combination preserved it well and traveled far. When the travellers and traders popularised into regional favourites, adaptations were easy based on availability of ingredients.

Here is a classification of these halwa recipes based on the ingredients use to make it.

Check out these recipes by clicking on the highlighted words. They will open up to the respective recipes by a pod of bloggers.

Halwa with flour and grain: this is perhaps the closest to the original versions. The flour or grain forms the base of the recipe along with a sweetener and also a thickener.

Karachi halwa: following the trade routes, the most popular one of all halwas us the cornflour based Karachi halwa. This comes in various colours and flavours. This is the same seen as kozhikoden halwa. 

Here is the recipe for this sliceable halwa.

Sooji ka halwa: the hakwa that is popular during Indian festivals is the sooji ka halwa. This is also called sheera or kesari, depending on the region in India that you travel to. The common flavours in this are banana or pineapple.

Here is the one with banana flavours.

Rice halwas: Rice halwas are popular in south Indian festivals. The distinct chettinad kavuni halwa utilizes,  black rice and jaggery. Another version is the Thiruvathria kali that has roasted rice, jaggery and coconut that is cooked together till a scooppable consistency is reached.

Chettinadu kavuni halwa

Thiruvathira kali

Atta halwa:the wholewheat flour based, winter warmer, atta halwa is perhaps one you absolutely want to hug the bowl. It is children’s favourite and a smooth halwa.

Prepare this atta halwa recipe.

Bread halwa: leftover bread is uniquely adapted to create the bread halwa.This unique use is not just tasty but the resourcefulness of the the home-maker.

Let’s try this bread halwa.

Legume based halwa

Using legumes as the base if halwa is equally popular. Taking up regional twists this had the classic North Indian moong dal halwa or the south Indian sweet sundals. These have a slightly grainy consistency and are decadently rich.
The moong dal halwa uses soaked and ground yellow cotyledons on green gram that is cooked in sugar and ghee.

Check the recipe for Moong dal halwa.

The sweet sundals on the other had uses whole beans with sugarcane jaggery and coconut to taste.

Have you tried it? Click on this recipe link.

Fruit and vegetable halwas

The halwa collection that actually portrays the ingenuity of a cook is much evolved in the area of using fruits and vegetables. The starchy root vegetables form an easier halwa. This can be with beetroot, carrot sweet potato or potato. Then comes the gourds and melons that are cooked down to form delicious halwas.

Carrots and beets; The classic gajar ka halwa with khoya and red carrots or the easier microwave halwa with red or black carrots are popular during most festivals. You can adapt the same to fusion desserts parfaits, halwa tarts or even serve it with ice cream. The beetroot halwa has the deep pink hue from the beets themselves and lends itself well in the recipe that even beet lovers adapt to well. It is a winter classic when beets are plenty in the market. Check these recipes

Classic gajar ka halwa.

Black carrot halwa.

Beetroot halwa.

Carrot halwa tart with elaichi cream.

Potato and sweet potato; The sweet potato halwa again takes up the color based on the type of sweet potato. This version of halwa is smoother and richer to taste.The potato halwa is also a spin off of the same idea.The starchier the better. Try out these recipes 

Sweet potato halwa

Potato halwa

Pumpkins, melons and gourds: These are the areas where local expertise takes over. The pumpkin halwa has a smooth, rich texture with a beautiful ochre to orange colour coming naturally from the pumpkins, these are great for the autumn chill and perfect for the pumpkin overload during thanksgiving. In Karnataka the ashgourd is made into the irresistible kashi halwa. This smooth glassy halwa is different in texture and flavour. Among the north Indian cuisine, the lauki halwa is more popular, probable because of the availability. Laced with milk solids this is often served with an elaborate meal or at teatime. What perhaps is the most divergent is the Karela halwa that turns the bittergourd into a delicious dessert! Give these a go,

Pumpkin halwa

Kashi halwa

Lauki halwa

Karela halwa

Fruit based halwas: if you haven’t done this , it is the best time to start. The slightly tasteless papayas become the most beautiful orange hued  treats. When it is autumn and you get an apple overload, change over some to delicious apple date halwas that you can run the better part of the season with. Can we gives these a try?

Papaya halwa.

Apple date halwa

Seed and nuts halwas

The richer versions of halwas have a lots of seeds and nuts in them. The Karachi halwa utilises pistachios and almonds, most of the scoopable halwas have roasted cashews or melon seeds added to them. But the following three halwas actually use whole seeds or nuts as their base.

Rajgira halwa:the ancient seeds of amaranth are gourd and cooked into a thick consistency to form this rajgira halwa. This is popular during vrat , religious fasting in India.Here is one of the best recipes- Rajgira halwa

Tahini halva: this recipe dates back to the days of Persian empire. The classic recipe uses ground sesame seeds that are cooked to a sweet slicable halwa. Try this perfect exceution.

Badam halwa: the South Indian badam halwa is undeniably the best in this series. You could make it with almond flour or with soaked whole almonds flavoured with saffron, the end result of this halwa is a melt in the mouth delightful scoop. Dont miss this delightful recipe for South Indian Badam halwa

Which of these halwas can be cut into pieces?

Among this collection of halwa with semolina, tahini or cornstarch can be set and cut into pieces. Rest are scoopable to serve.

Is sheera really halwa?

Since sheera is pretty much made in the same way as the halwa, there is no reason to dismiss it as different. It doesn’t slice the same way as a cornflower halwa does, however it can be set or scooped. So pretty much a halwa and enjoy it.

Stay connected

Hope you adore this Halwa collection. This post is a collaboration between some food bloggers whose recipes have always turned out to be a gem. Each recipe here turns out perfectly and Oh boy! I am spoilt for choice this Diwali! What will you be making out of this collection, Let us know in comments and stay on with us as bring you the best ahead as well.

See you at the next post.

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