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Habshi halwa
حبشی حلوہ (habshi halwa): Lahore's dark, chewy sprouted-wheat and milk halwa slow-cooked for hours with nuts
PakistaniFew sweets demand as much patience as habshi halwa, the near-black, glossy, chewy slab that the old halwais of Lahore's Anarkali and Ichhra stir for most of a day in wide brass karahis. Full-cream milk is reduced with sprouted wheat flour (samnak) until the sugars caramelise and the mixture darkens from cream to coffee to deep mahogany, then ghee is worked in until it leaks out shining at the edges. The taste is of toffee, malt and toasted nuts, rich enough that a small square with tea is plenty, and it is a winter gift sent to relatives and given at weddings. Sprouting wheat takes two or three days, so plan ahead, or use the flour sold as samnak in South Asian shops. The mistake that spoils most batches is turning up the heat to save time, which scorches the milk on the base and makes the halwa bitter instead of deeply caramelised. Chef's tip: caramelise a third of the sugar separately to a dark amber before adding it, which gives the colour without hours of extra stirring.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the halwa
- 10 ½ cups full-fat milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 ½ oz sprouted wheat flour (samnak)or wholewheat flour
- 10 ½ oz sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 6 ½ oz ghee
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
For the nuts
- 2 ⅛ oz almondsroughly chopped
- 1 ¾ oz walnutsroughly chopped
- 1 oz pistachioschopped
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Whisk 3 ½ oz sprouted wheat flour (samnak) with 300 ml of 1 ¼ cups full-fat milk until completely smooth, with no lumps.
Step 2: Bring the rest of 9 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil in a wide, heavy karahi or pan over a medium heat, stirring so it does not catch.
25 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice; the milk will turn slightly grainy, which gives the halwa its chewy, khoya-like texture.
2 minStep 4: Keep the milk at a lively simmer over a medium-low heat, stirring and scraping the base every few minutes, for about 1 1/2 hours until it has reduced to about a third.
90 minStep 5: Pour in the flour mixture in a thin stream, whisking all the time, then stir for 10 minutes until it thickens and no raw flour taste remains.
10 minStep 6: Add two-thirds of 7 oz sugar and keep stirring and scraping over a low heat for about 30 minutes, until the mixture is light brown and thick like porridge.
30 minStep 7: Meanwhile, put the rest of 3 ⅝ oz sugar in a small heavy pan with 3 tbsp water and cook over a medium heat without stirring for 5–6 minutes, until it turns a dark amber caramel.
6 minStep 8: Carefully pour the caramel into the halwa, standing back as it splutters, and stir it in.
2 minStep 9: Add 6 ½ oz ghee a few spoonfuls at a time and keep cooking over a low heat, stirring constantly and pressing the halwa against the pan, for 40–45 minutes, until it is very dark brown, glossy, comes together as one chewy mass and the ghee seeps out at the edges.
45 minStep 10: Stir in 1 tsp ground cardamom, 2 ⅛ oz almonds, 1 ¾ oz walnuts and 1 oz pistachios and cook for 2–3 minutes more.
3 minStep 11: Spread the halwa about 2 cm thick in a greased tray, or serve warm in spoonfuls. Once cool, cut it into squares; it keeps for 2 weeks in a sealed tin in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does habshi halwa take?
- About 240 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 220 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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