Ashoka Halwa

Today I am going to write about "Ashoka Halwa". Its the first food i made in my lifetime!!! ( Not even coffee or tea and I made it in 9th std with my friend after bunking school for half a day). A small hot packet of Ashoka Halwa which my mom used to bring for us from tiruvaiyuru really took my heart. It became my most favourite sweet since childhood. Tiruvaiyaru ashoka halwa is known for its unique taste and nothing can beat the originality of it. You would have come across this sweet if you have attended any marriages around thanjavur district.

Here comes my version of Ashoka Halwa to you.

Ingredients
Moong Dhal ( Payatham Paruppu / Pesara Pappu) - 1 Cup
Wheat Flour - 1/4 cup.
Sugar - 1 Cup ( More or less depending on your taste).
Elachi Powder - 2 tsp.
Kesar food colour - 1/2 tsp.
Ghee - 1/2 cup. ( For low calorie, add only 1/4 cup).
Milk - 1/2 cup.

Method

1. Cook the Moong dhal ( Payatham Paruppu / Pesara pappu) with milk and water in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles till it becomes tender and softer.
2. Slightly fry the whole wheat flour on a kadai with very little ghee and keep it aside.
3. Open the cooker now and mash the dhal perfectly without any lumps. Add powdered sugar and food colour to the dhal, stir it continously.
4. Slowly add spoons of ghee on the sides while stirring.
5. After it melts, add the elachi powder for good flavour.
6. Also, add the light fried wheat flour into the kadai and stir everything continously.
7. Keep adding spoons of ghee in the middle and stir the mixture till it comes to a thicker consistency like a halwa.
8. Add the remaining ghee and decorate it with cashew nuts. Let it cool for sometime and then taste it.

Variations

Generally i add milk while cooking moong dhal, you can avoid it if you dont like the taste of it. Amounts of sugar and ghee can vary depending upon your taste, weight, calorie counts. 

Tips

Switch off the heat when the halwa mixture is almost nearing the halwa consistency. Dont stir the halwa mix till it becomes hard. When it gets cooled, automatically it gets little thicker. If you have a good quality dal / Paruppu, it tastes very good.

Beetroot Halwa

Beetroot Halwa

Made this halwa due to my daughter's request. She has been an ardent fan of beetroot halwa since her childhood. Instead of grating the beetroot for the halwa which I regularly do, I steam cooked the beetroot and grinded it. This process was super quick and the halwa consistency was achieved faster than expected. As Beetroot is very healthy vegetable, this sweet item is very sutiable for kids.

Ingredients

Beetroot - 2 Big ( 4 Cup )

Sugar - Between 1 Cup and 2 cups

Cardamom Powder / Elachi Powder - 3 tsp

Cashewnuts - 1 Handful

Melted Butter / Ghee - 3 tbsp

Rose Essence - 2 Drops

Method

Peel the skin and steam cook the beetroot using a pressure cooker. Grind the beetroot using a mixer grinder and transfer it into a thick bottomed pan/ kadai. Add the sugar, cardamom powder and a drop of rose essence and stir them well.  When the consistency of the Halwa is perfect, then add the ghee to the halwa and stir them for few more minutes. After the halwa is done, transfer the halwa into a serving bowl. Decorate the halwa with ghee roasted cashew nuts on its top just before serving..

Tips/Variations

Grate the beetroot using a grater and cook them directly in the kadai/pan and try..

HOW T MAKE Apple Halwa RECIPE

Though we like to eat fresh apples all the time, its always interesting to try out new things with our favourite fruits or vegetables at home. One of my friends had given us lots of their home grown fresh apples. I made apple halwa out of those sweet apples. The process was quicker and we require only very less ingredients for making this delicious halwa. Try this out at home and I am sure you will enjoy the unique taste of apple halwa. Later you can twist, customize your version with different kinds of apples..and let me know your discoveries too...This sweet will be an ideal healthy sweet especially during parties as its different.

Ingredients

Apple Puree - 5-6 cups ( My friend gave me a bag full of apples..I made a puree out of it using the   

                                        blender without peeling the skin. So, you can approximately take 4 or 5 Red

                                        Delicious Apples.)                                

Sugar - 3-4 tbsp

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Food Colour ( Red ) - a small pinch.

Ghee - 3 tsp

Cashew nuts - 2 tsp

Pista - 2 or 3

Almonds / Badam - 3 or 4

Method

• Make apple puree using a mixer grinder or blender without peeling the skin. Take out the seeds of the apples and then grind them.
• In a big non-stick pan or any thick bottomed vessel, add the puree and allow them to cook with the lid for 10-15 minutes till the apple puree become thicker.
• When its slightly thicker, add sugar and food colour powder to the pan and cook them for another 3-4 minutes.
• Add the cardamom powder, ghee to the halwa and stir them nicely.
• When the apple halwa becomes thicker and comes out of the sides of the pan easily, its an indication that the process is complete.
• Switch off the flame and transfer the halwa to the serving bowl.
• Decorate the apple halwa with lightly roasted cashewnuts, pistas, almonds and serve..

Tips /Variations

Adjust the sugar level according to your taste buds and also according to the sweetness of the apples you have.

To thicken the apple puree quickly, you can also use microwave while making this halwa.