There is no dish or ingredient start with W in Tamil cuisine and need to use some clause or English word.When I was listing the recipes for the theme,just marked wheat or wheat flour for the letter W.
After finalizing wheat or wheat flour for W, I was confused about a particular recipe.
My search for the recipe started in the last moment and looking at internet and some of my cook books.While looking at my one of my old recipe booklet this recipe caught my attention.But the the measurements I noted is for large scale.I scaled down the measurement for a cup and also referred here to get a clear idea.
Coming to the recipe its an easy and short cut method to make the wheat halwa.The method of making wheat halwa is bit lengthy as the wheat berries are soaked,ground then extracted.But using wheat flour makes the work easy and taste also almost close to original one.
I have seen wheat halwa is made in large quantities for wedding most the cooks in our hometown follows this method.
My hometown is famous for ashoka halwa and it appears in the wedding menu mostly for the breakfast.As the South Indian wedding menu needs to be so elaborate and the menu should not repeat and of course its 4 time meals for 2-3 days.Also there is a ritual of serving sweet,karam(savory),kaapi(coffee) for the snack time in the evening in most of the weddings.
For that occasion this wheat halwa is served along with either bajji or bonda along with coffee.The halwa is sliced to a perfect 2 inch square,in which the ghee drips and melt in mouth.This combo is so popular especially in Tanjore/Thanjavur district weddings. Though the process of making halwa needs lot of arm power its worth to try once in a while.Lets move on to the recipe....
Wheat Halwa/Easy Wheat Halwa
Basic Information Preparation time 10 minutes
Soaking time 2 hours
Cooking time 45 -50 minutes
Serves 5-6(generously)
Ingredients
Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
Wheat flour/gothumai maavu | 1 cup |
Sugar/sakkari | 2-2.25 cups |
Ghee/nei | 3/4 - 1cup |
Water | 4-5 cups |
Cashews/munidri | 3 tbs(broken) |
Cardamom powder/ellakai podi | 1/2 tsp |
Orange or red food color | a pinch |
Method
- In a bowl take the wheat flour and mix it well with water like a chappathi dough.To this add around 4 cups of water and let it rest for 1-2 hours.
- After 2 hours using the hand mix the dough well and pass it through a strainer.To the extracte liquid add around one cup of water and strain it for one more time.Keep it aside.
- Now in a tsp of ghee fry the cashews and remove it, set it aside.Add the extracted liquid in the pan and stirring in a medium flame.After 12-15 minutes of stirring the liquid will be in a porridge like consistency.Add the food colur and mix it well.
- Keep stirring it for another 2-3 minutes or the raw smell goes off.Now add the sugar and mix it vigorously.Now slowly add a tbs of ghee in intervals and continue stirring.
.- After 10-15 minutes of stirring the mixture turns thick and will be glossy.Now add the fried cashews and cardamom powder.
- Mix it well and stir it till the halwa leaves the side of the pan.Transfer it to a pan and slice it after cooling or serve it in bowls.
- Serve it warm or cold.
- The entire cooking needs to be done in a medium flame.Otherwise the halwa turned out so lumpy.
- Addition of sugar can be increased upto 2.25 cups to get a sweeter version.
- For reheating,keep the halwa in a bowl of boiling water or MW it for 10-15 seconds..
- Continuous stirring is so important to get a nice consistency halwa.
Enjoy..............
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