Gur Atte Ka Halwa: Jaggery and Whole Wheat Flour Halwa
19 Mar
I got up this Sunday morning with a halwa craving, fondly remembering the sooji ka halwa my mom used to make on weekends. There was no sooji (semolina) in the pantry to recreate her recipe, so I turned internet-wards for recourse.
The recipe for gur aur atte ka halwa (jaggery and whole wheat flour halwa) on Divine Taste struck an instant chord: the pictures were mouth-watering, and the key ingredients – whole wheat and jaggery – were healthy substitutes (well, more importantly, available with me!) for semolina and sugar.
Thanks Anushruti for the easy recipe. This is the first time I made halwa (I am not a dessert person?) and in the process I was wondering how it’ll come to look the way it does in her pictures, thick and translucent. I trusted the recipe and bless her – it did indeed come together beautifully. Mine was a shade of brown darker than the original’s, probably because of the color of jaggery used. The halwa was super-tasty.
On to the recipe – it is like the original’s with additional newbie-experience commentary :-P
You Need:
- Atta (whole wheat flour) – 3/4 cup [buy here]
- Jaggery – 3/4 cup [buy]
- Water – 1.5 cups
- Ghee – 2 tablespoons [buy here]
- Cardamom – 2 pods [buy here]
- Almonds – a few slivers for garnishing [buy here]
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In the picture above: atta (whole wheat flour), cardamom, powdered jaggery, ghee, almonds.
How To Make Gur Atte Ka Halwa:
Heat ghee in a kadhai or skillet. When the ghee has melted, add atta and stir.
Keep roasting the atta, stirring regularly, till the color turns dark and the raw smell disappears (about 10 minutes).
After 10 minutes of roasting:
[This looked like a minuscule amount. ‘How will it serve 4 to 6 as promised in the recipe?’ was the question foremost on my mind at this stage.]
In another saucepan, mix the jaggery in 1.5 cups of water and heat it till the jaggery dissolves. Don’t boil. This will give you a thin, chocolate-colored liquid. [Don’t despair at the runniness of the jaggery syrup. Very soon this liquid will work its magic on the ghee-roasted atta, putting an end to your doubts about both texture and quantity.]
Pour the jaggery syrup into the atta skillet – pour slowly from the sides to avoid splattering. Voilà ! In an instant the atta will expand to several times its volume, bubble thickly and there will be no more signs of runniness.
See? If that isn’t Hogwarts-worthy, I don’t know what is.
Add crushed cardamom powder into the mix. Make sure there are no lumps, press with a spatula to break if any. Cook for another minute on low flame, stirring continuously.
In a minute, our dish will have come together in this glowing tempting mass of halwa.
Place gur atte ka halwa into individual bowls. Slice almonds into slivers and sprinkle some over each bowl. Serve hot as dessert after an Indian meal, or as a standalone anytime snack.
Notes:
Check out other dessert recipes on The Steaming Pot:
It looks perfect! Just the way I love halwa: fatty, succulent and smooth.
Thank you Lakshmi! Great to see you here. Love your blog!
1st time here. You have a great space. Lets keep in touch
Halwa looks divine.
Thanks Madhavi. Hopping over to your space now…
Oohh, yum!
We buy halwa (and soan papdi) from the bakery on the corner of our road but I’m now thinking I may have to try your recipe!
Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was so easy to make. Love it!!! Tried it even though I didn’t have cardamom powder and it is still so delicious. A little runnier than your pictures but soooo good. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Love the way of your narrate. My dadi (paternal grandmother) used to make this for me. More love to you â¤ï¸
Oh thank you! â¤ï¸