Recipe: Indian Pudding (Halva)

This is one sweet dish that I really missed once I had cut dairy out of my diet. I grew up eating this and have some really fond memories when my family enjoyed this together. My Mom would make it during most festivals, especially during the Navratri (9 nights of Durga prayers). Its celebrated a few weeks before Diwali and is commonly known for its Dandiya dance parties.

Halva (click on the link for a Wikipedia history lesson) as its traditionally known as in India, is a pudding made out of semolina flour. The original recipe calls for Ghee (clarified butter, which is usually low on lactose) and Milk (well its not). So today I present to you a modified version of this pudding that does not require Ghee or Milk but replaces it with Olive Oil and Soy Milk. Wait Wait, don't jump to conclusions yet. Trust me it tastes very very good. I have a very picky sweet tooth and I liked it, so chances are you might too.

Before we get to the recipe, I have to thank my Mom for it. Recently, she visited me in DC and during a festival made the Halva for everyone. Everyone except I ate it. I saw her sad face when she saw me not having some. Seeing her sad, I decided to man up and have some. But Mom's are Mom's! She asked me try something different the next day instead.

The following day she handed me a plate with the "new" Halva. I looked at it and thought that it looked the same. I wasn't sure if she got the fact that I can't eat dairy. But I couldn't say no to her again so I just ate some. I couldn't tell the difference. It wasn't until later when she revealed the "new" recipe.
 
All I can say is, I love you Mommy :)

Alright I am going to jump right into the recipe. If you unfamiliar with how it tastes and to get a quick history lesson, do read the Wikipedia article I linked above.

What do you need?

- Suji [also called Semolina flour] (1 cup)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3/4 cup)
- Fine-grained Sugar (1 cup)
- Water (3-4 cups)
- Dry Fruits: Walnuts, Cashews, and Raisins (10-15 pieces of each)
- 1 Deep pot
- 1 Regular sized pot



How to go about this?

Step 3

1) Add the flour in a deep pot and about 1/2 cup olive oil to it

2) Keep stirring it so it becomes semi-thick. If needed, add some more olive oil (don't exceed the 1 to 3/4 ratio)

3) Keep doing the same (adding oil if needed) and stirring for another10-15 minutes, until the mixture is golden brown (see the image on the right)

4) Flour will start separating from the oil and will turn darker brown than the color shown in the image.  

Tip: You should keep the flame on medium initially and then high towards the end. This will allow the flour to darken without burning. Don't forget to keep stirring.

5) In the meantime, add 1 cup of sugar to a small pot along with 3 cups of water (maintain a 1 to 3 ratio).

Step 8

6) Let the sugar melt and form a syrupy mixture. This should not take more than 10 minutes

7) Once the syrup is done and the flour is darkened. Add the syrup to the flour mixture in the deep pot.

8) Start stiring as soon as you add it. The flour will absorb the water and become thicker.




9) As soon as the mixture is thick enough so that it is hard to stir anymore, it means you are done!

10) Cover the pot and let it stand for about 15-20 minutes. The oil will get cooler and the whole product will harden.

Tip: To make fun shapes out of it (as show in the image below), instead of leaving it in the pot, pour it in another pan of which you like the shape.

11) Garnish the product with diced dry fruits and you are done!

Here is the finished product. Looks fancy right? I feel like a real chef today :)