Atta halwa is a delicious Indian dessert made on auspicious occasions. Atta halwa is moist, smooth, melt in mouth and easy to make. It can also be given to nursing mother as it is rich in calories and nutrition.
Ingredients required to make halwa (for reference).
Take a large and thick bottom kadai and add ¾ cup of Ghee and heat it slightly.
Add 1 cup of wheat flour.
Simultaneously while roasting mixture, add 1 ½cups of Jaggery in 3 cups of water and keep it on other stove for heating on medium flame.
Roast mixture well, till it turns nutty brown in color and spreads aroma.
Once mixture is roasted well, add jaggery syrup in it very carefully as it splutters.
Keep stirring it continuously till syrup is fully absorbed. Ensure that there are no lumps. Also, add ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder. Cover and cook for a minute. Once halwa is cooked properly - it will release ghee.
Garnish with your favorite dry fruits and serve hot.
Wisdom
Prefer using thick bottom kadai / pan so halwa does not burn as you roast.
If you are using non-stick kadai, it’s recommended to use silicon / plastic / wooden spatula.
Use good quality aromatic ghee. If ghee is not available, can be made with unsalted butter.
I recommend to use coarse wheat flour (mota atta) as it gives better texture to halwa.
If you are using fine atta (barik atta) then reduce the water measurement to 2½ cups. If using slightly coarse atta (mota / big grain) , then use 3 cups of water.
Measurement of jaggery, is completely dependent on one’s taste. If you like it sweet – add more jaggery and if you like it less sweet – use less jaggery. I have used organic powdered jaggery while making halwa.
How to know if your halwa is wellcooked ? After 5-7 minutes of adding jaggery syrup and cardamom, halwa will separate from pan and release ghee. That’s a sign of well-cooked halwa.
Patience – it’s a key for making any halwa. Roasting of wheat flour on low to medium flame till it turns nutty brown and spreads aroma. Avoid roasting too much, as it will spoil taste.
You can refrigerate this for 3-4 days. If refrigerated, before serving heat it in microwave or take it in a pan and heat it.
Microwaving tip – If re-heating in microwave, keep ½ glass of water along with halwa. It retains moisture of halwa.