Ok since I was a kid, this one dessert/snack/any time food is my all time favorite! This past Sunday I suddenly got off the couch itching for it. No idea! But it was bad enough for me to go make it! We Punjabis also call it the Kada Parshad since that's what it is called in the Sikh Temples or the Gurudwaras truly amazing places of worship.
This warm, gooey and soothing mush of sugar, flour, Ghee and nuts hath no foes. Only friends and lovers of it. It's perfect little kid food too! Mmm mm!
So the not so great part. It does have some Ghee (clarified butter), but this is now followed by a great news, that Ghee is given a bad name for no fault of it. It's high in saturated fat but has a high smoking point, so the essential nutrients don't go rancid during the cooking process. Plus, Ghee digests way better than butter since the casein and lactose have almost been entirely removed during the clarification process.
Here's some validation!
So that said please use Ghee wisely in your meals. A little goes a long way and all said and done it is a high fat food :)
Aaaand back to our Halwa! Super easy to make, and actually I used a lot less Ghee compared to what my mom in law does. Hee hee.
Here's the recipe
Atta Halwa
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 tbsp Ghee
3 tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup mix of Almonds, Cashews and Pistachios (roasted and chopped fine)
1/2 cup Raisin
1/2 tsp Cardamom (powdered)
A few strands of Saffron
2 cups water
Start by heating a non-stick pan on medium heat, and when hot enough add the flour to the pan. Stir continuously every minute. We're going to roast the flour and cook it through before adding the wet ingredients. This should take about 20 minutes or so.
When the flour shade starts turning a bit darker (it should resemble the color of sand) add the nuts. Stir for a minute.
Now add the Cardamom and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Now add the Ghee and stir for another 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the Saffron next and immediately add the water and sugar and raisins.
Stir in rapid strokes, working and incorporating everything. When you've achieved a nice creamy consistency, turn off the gas and cool a bit before serving!
Halwa is done!
I hope you get to try this at least once in your life, as this is truly an authentic and delicious treat for anyone of any age and any ethnicity. I feel like these simple ingredients are the basis of many desserts all over the world, but served up with different names.
So explore your culinary horizons a bit more and try the Atta Halwa if you have't been smittne by it already.
Love and Nomaste
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