Atta Halwa

Atta halwa (aate ka halwa), also known as karah prasad, is a popular North Indian halwa recipe made with just three ingredients wheat flour, clarified butter (ghee) and sugar and unlike other halwa it just requires 10 minutes to make with less effort.

WHAT IS WHEAT HALWA?

Aate Ka Halwa or wheat halwa is a popular Indian sweet dish made with whole wheat flour. This 4 – ingredient sweet dish is also served as a Kada Prasad in all the Gurudwara’s (Sikh Temple) worldwide.

This is one of the easiest indian desserts ever!This halwa has just a handful ingredients and the only difficult bit is the browning of the flour. Which frankly just needs a bit of patience and supervision.

Whole Wheat Halwa is often made on festive days like Diwali, Krishna Janmashtmi and Baisakhi. In fact, Halwa is also had on special occasions like birthdays as breakfast.

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED?

Wheat Halwa requires only 4-ingredients including water. And the best part is all these key ingredients are a pantry staple. You don’t need a trip to the grocery store before making this Indian sweet dish.

• Whole Wheat Flour – it is always best to use a coarse texture whole wheat flour for making halwa. You can use freshly milled flour as well. Replace wheat flour with semolina and you will end up with delicious sooji (semolina) halwa.
• Ghee – Desi ghee (clarified butter) is a key ingredient to make rich atta halwa. You can use unsalted butter as a substitute but the taste will not be the same. Use good quality organic or homemade ghee for making halwa.
• Sugar – Granulated White Sugar gives the sweet taste and the sort after texture to the halwa. Adjust the amount of sweetness in halwa as per your liking. Feel free to use organic brown sugar or powdered jaggery instead of white sugar.
• Cardamom Powder – It is optional to add green cardamom powder in the halwa for the subtle sweet aroma and taste.
• Nuts – It is optional to add nuts in the halwa as it makes halwa more decadent and crunchy.

VARIATIONS OF ATTA HALWA:

• Nuts – Add raisins, slivered almonds and pistachios to make this more decadent and crunchy.
• Flavors – Add cardamom powder or saffron for sweet aroma and taste.
• Mix of sooji – Replace 1/4 cup of wheat flour with sooji for a grainier texture.
• Adding jaggery – Replace the sugar with jaggery, following the same recipe and ratios.

TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT HALWA:

• Always use heavy bottom or a non stick flat pan to make the halwa especially for perfectly roasting the wheat flour. Also halwa does not stick to the pan and it is easy to scrape the sides of the pan as you stir.
• Ghee is the soul of a perfect wheat halwa. Hence, avoid reducing the quantity of ghee required to make the halwa.
• Make sure that you use a proper portion of wheat flour and ghee for an authentic smooth, creamy wheat halwa.
• Slow roasting is the key step in making a deep brown color halwa. Always slow roast wheat flour over a low-medium flame. Also, keep it stirring continuously while roasting for even browning.
• Do not give up on flour until a nice, nutty aroma is released and the color of the wheat flour is changed from pale white to light brown.
• Slowly add the water in roasted flour. There will be a lot of spluttering. Hence, keep your distance from the stove-top.
• Continuously stir the halwa after adding the water to avoid any lump formation. The consistency of wheat halwa is spoon dropping
• You can add the amount of sugar as per your preferences.
• You can add sliced almonds, cashews or raisins in the atta halwa.

HOW TO SERVE HALWA?

Garnish the halwa with sliced almonds, cashews or pistachios. Serve warm or cold as a dessert after meal or anytime of the day.

HOW TO STORE HALWA?

Transfer the halwa in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3 days. Before serving, heat the sweet dish in a microwave for 1 – 2 minutes or till it is warm enough to eat.

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ATTA HALWA | WHEAT HALWA RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup ghee, clarified butter
1 cup atta, whole wheat flour
2 cup water, hot
1 cup granulated white sugar
pinch green cardamom powder, optional
chopped nuts, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a heavy bottom pan, melt ghee. Once the ghee melts, add atta to it and mix to combine well with the ghee.
2. Stir continuously the flour in ghee until it turns brown in color and gives a nice aroma, take around 6 to 7 minutes on medium -low heat. Do not burn the atta here.
3. Then add the hot water. Be careful as you add it since the halwa will bubble like crazy.
4. Stir continuously for a minute or two as you add the water and the water gets absorbed by the flour.
5. Add in the sugar and mix. Continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes on medium heat after adding the sugar.
6. Add cardamom powder and chopped nuts and mix well.
7. Serve atta halwa immediately with some chopped nuts. I like to have it warm!

RECIPE NOTES:

1. Always use heavy bottom or a non stick flat pan to make the halwa especially for perfectly roasting the wheat flour. Also halwa does not stick to the pan and it is easy to scrape the sides of the pan as you stir.
2. Ghee is the soul of a perfect wheat halwa. Hence, avoid reducing the quantity of ghee required to make the halwa.
3. Make sure that you use a proper portion of wheat flour and ghee for an authentic smooth, creamy wheat halwa.
4. Slow roasting is the key step in making a deep brown color halwa. Always slow roast wheat flour over a low-medium flame. Also, keep it stirring continuously while roasting for even browning.
5. Do not give up on flour until a nice, nutty aroma is released and the color of the wheat flour is changed from pale white to light brown.
6. Slowly add the water in roasted flour. There will be a lot of spluttering. Hence, keep your distance from the stove-top.
7. Continuously stir the halwa after adding the water to avoid any lump formation. The consistency of wheat halwa is spoon dropping
8. You can add the amount of sugar as per your preferences.
9. You can add sliced almonds, cashews or raisins in the atta halwa.

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