HALVAS - NUT
Almond Halwa
8 ozs almonds
8 ozs ghee
2 silver leaves
4 ozs semolina
1/2 tspn chopped pistachios
3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
6 green cardamoms
Soak the almonds overnight, peel and grind coarsely. Boil the milk with sugar until it is dissolved and set aside. Heat the ghee, fry semolina for two minutes and add coarsely ground almonds and fry until light brown. Add the milk, crushed cardamoms and stir until thick and leaves its ghee. Remove from the fire, put in a serving dish and decorate with silver leaves and chopped pistachios. Offer hot.
Badam Halwa
2 cups Almond paste
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Ghee
A pinch Saffron strands - a pinch
Milk as required for the paste
1/2 tsp Green Cardamom powder
Soak almonds in the water 2 hours and blanch them. Add saffron and blend to a smooth paste adding as little milk as possible. Put almond paste and sugar in a thick bottomed pan, stir frequently and cook till the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Add powdered cardamom and remove from fire. Now add the ghee little by little till all the ghee is absorbed. Cool to room temperature and serve.
Badam Ka Halwa
4-1/2 cups Milk
½ cup Almonds
1 Tbsp Ghee]
1-1/4 cup grated Khoya (or fine ricotta)
1 cup Sugar
½ Tsp Cardamom Powder
2 Tbsp Shredded Almonds
For Garnish:
Rose Petals
Silver Varak
Shredded Almonds
Soak the almonds in water, remove the skins, and make a paste with a little water. Saute almond paste in ghee and keep aside. Heat ghee in a kadhai and when it starts to thicken a bit add almond paste to it and mix well. Add khoya to it and stir well and see that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the kadhai. When the mixture becomes a bit thick add sugar to it and mix well. Add shredded almonds, cardamom powder and mix well. Check the sweetness and then garnish well with rose petals, almonds and also sprinkle cardamom powder on it. Serve hot or cold.
Caramel Walnut Halava
2 cups Farina
3 cups Sugar
1 cup Butter
1cup Walnuts
3 cups Hot Water
In a saucepan, melt a tablespoon of butter and add the sugar. At low heat let the sugar melt and turn into caramel, turning constantly to prevent burning. When the sugar is all caramelled add the hot water. At first the sugar will crystalize, but slowly will melt and you will have caramel flavored water. In a saucepan melt the rest of the butter, add the farina. Toast the farina until golden brown, add the walnuts (quartered), add the hot caramel water. Let cook until all the water is absorbed.. Quickly stir the halava to make it smooth. Transfer the halava onto a slightly greased tray. Let it set then cut in cubes.
Royal Rava
Basic Rava (any recipe you choose)
edible silver or gold foil
1/3 cup unblanched almonds
pistachios, chopped
1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds, crushed
nutmeg, a few grinds
splash of rosewater
scatter of rose petals
1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream
fruit
Starting with a basic Rava, wait until the mixture cools slightly and place in a food processor with almonds. Process until the mixture smooths out and the almonds are finely chopped. Add cardamom seeds crushed in a mortar and a splash of rose water. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks and fold into lukewarm or room-temperature Rava. Pour into a serving bowl (silver if you like) and refrigerate until ready to offer. Garnish with foil, chopped pistachios, a light grating of nutmeg, and at the very last moment a scatter of dewy rose petals. You can also garnish by surrounding with strawberries, raspberries, sliced mangoes or blood oranges.
Sohan Halwa
Sugar 3-3/4 cups
Water 4 cups
Cornflour 1 cup
Almonds 1 cup
Pistachios 1/2 cup
Green cardamoms 2 tbsps.
Milk 1/2 cup
Red or yellow food colouring
Ghee 8 tbsps.
Dissolve the sugar in half the water and let it boil for 5 minutes. Add milk and leave to boil for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a muslin cloth. Dissolve cornflour in the remaining water and add to the syrup. Cook on medium heat and when it starts turning into lumps, add the colouring mixed with a little lemon juice. Stir continously, adding a little ghee every time the mixture starts sticking to the bottom of the pan. When the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms one whole lump, add the crushed cardamoms and finely-sliced almonds and pistachios, keeping aside a few nuts for garnishing. Put the halwa on a greased thali and flatten it out, then decorate it with the remaining almonds and pistachios.
When cooled, cut into desired shapes and sizes, and offer. This halwa will keep for months if packed in air-tight tins.
Tamal Badham Halwa
Almonds - 20 or 25
Sugar - 1-1/2 cups
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Food Coloring, a bit
Soak the almonds in boiling water for at least 2 hours. Remove the outer skin and make into a fine paste adding as little water as possible. Heat up a pan and add the paste, sugar, coloring agent and 1/2 of the ghee and stir continuously to mix well. Reduce the heat to low and let it remain for some more time. Once the sweet no longer sticks to the sides, add the remaining ghee and mix evenly. Transfer to another greased vessel.
