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Khajoor ka halwa
Date halwa
کھجور کا حلوہ (khajoor ka halwa): Makran-style date halwa cooked down with milk and ghee and finished with nuts
The oasis towns of Turbat and Panjgur in Makran grow some of Pakistan's finest dates, the soft, honeyed Begum Jangi and Muzawati among them, and after the late-summer harvest households turn the surplus into this rich, fudgy halwa. Dates are softened in warm milk, mashed and cooked down slowly in ghee until the mixture is dark and glossy and comes away from the pan, then finished with almonds, walnuts and cardamom. It needs little or no added sugar, and it is served in small portions at Eid, to new mothers and to guests with green tea. Using dry, hard dates without soaking is where it goes wrong, leaving the halwa lumpy and leathery. Chef's tip: choose soft, moist dates and blend them only briefly after soaking, so a few small pieces remain for texture.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the halwa
- 10 ½ oz soft datespitted
- 1 ¾ cups full-fat milkwarmed
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tbsp sugar (optional)only if the dates are not very sweet
For the nuts
- 1 ⅜ oz almondsslivered
- 1 oz walnutschopped
- 2 tbsp pistachios (optional)chopped
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 10 ½ oz soft dates in the warm 1 ¾ cups full-fat milk for 15 minutes until very soft.
15 minStep 2: Blend the dates and milk briefly to a coarse purée.
1 minStep 4: Add the date purée to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 15–18 minutes until it darkens, thickens and leaves the sides of the pan in one mass, with ghee shining at the edges.
18 minStep 5: Stir in 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom and 2 tbsp sugar if using, and cook for 1–2 minutes more.
2 minStep 6: Spread on a plate, top with the reserved nuts and 2 tbsp pistachios and serve warm or at room temperature. It keeps for a week in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khajoor ka halwa take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- 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 ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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