18 Halwa Recipes - Indian Halwa Varieties

Here is the collection of 18 different types of halwa recipes / Halwa varieties in my blog. In this list, you can find the links of 18 halwa recipes under one page. Most of them are popular, easy to make, must try Top South Indian and North Indian halwa recipes for Diwali and other festivals. As you all know Halwa (Halva/ Halawa/ Sheera in Hindi) is one of the most popular Indian dessert recipes. The word halwa means sweetness. It is prepared using flour or nuts as the base ingredient. 

In this collection, you can find the Indian halva recipes starting from easy carrot halwa using pressure cooker, suji halwa, beginners special corn flour halwa to the most time consuming Tirunelveli halwa / wheat halwa. Among these halwa varieties, my favorite is badam halwa, easy atta halwa and suji halwa. You too choose your favorite, try and share your feedback. I am yet to try Kerala halwa and some more popular halwa recipes. I will update this list whenever I share them. Lets see the collection of 18 halwa varieties below. Please click on the images to see the particular halwa recipe.

CARROT HALWA WITH KHOYA USING PRESSURE COOKER

This is an easy and quick carrot halwa (Gajar halwa in Hindi) that is prepared using grated carrot, khoya, sugar, ghee and nuts. This recipe is without milk and condensed milk. Please click the image below to know how to make carrot halwa easily using a pressure cooker.

BEETROOT HALWA USING PRESSURE COOKER

Beetroot halwa very similar to carrot halwa in cooking procedure . It is a healthy, yummy, quick halwa recipe. This recipe is without khoya/ mawa. Check how to prepare it.

BADAM HALWA

Badam halwa / Almond halwa like sweet shop style. It is one of the popular halwa recipes in South India. This rich and costly halwa can be made easily at home too. check out the recipe link by clicking the image below.

CORN FLOUR HALWA/ KARACHI HALWA

Bombay Karachi halwa, the most popular halwa recipe in North India. But its a very simple recipe prepared using corn flour, sugar and ghee. According to me this halwa is a beginners recipe. Anyone can make it easily and perfectly by following the steps. Do check it out.

TIRUNELVELI HALWA USING WHEAT FLOUR

This is a simplified version of Tirunelveli halwa using wheat flour. It tastes close to original Tirunelveli halwa. Do give a try.

MOONG DAL HALWA / MOONG DAL SHEERA

This is a popular North Indian style sheera recipe. It tastes so good. I have shared an interesting method to reduce the cooking time of this halwa. Do check out the recipe.

SOOJI HALWA / SUJI KA SHEERA

Suji halwa is a very simple and quick halwa recipe prepared for most of the festivals. This halwa is served along with Poori, Chole for breakfast. Halwa puri chole is one of the most popular breakfast combo in North India and Pakistan.

MILK HALWA / DOODH HALWA/ PAAL HALWA

Milk halwa / Paal halwa in Tamil / Doodh is the first sweet which got me a good name from my relatives. This halwa is very easy to make and tastes very rich. It is different from milk kesari in ratio, method of preparation as well as taste. It tastes similar to paal khova.

KASI HALWA/ ASH GOURD HALWA

Kasi Halwa (Vellai Poosanikai Halwa in Tamil,Ash Gourd Halwa /Winter Melon Halwa in English, Boodida Gummaikaya Halwa in Telugu, Kumbalanga Halwa in Malayalam, Kushmandha halwa, காசி அல்வா /  பூசணிக்காய் அல்வா / Kalyana Poosani Halwa ) is one of the most popular sweet recipes which is served in Brahmin weddings.

ASHOKA HALWA / PASI PARUPPU HALWA

Ashoka halwa is one of the most popular South Indian sweet which is popular in Thiruvaiyaru. Thiruvaiyaru Asoka halwa (Pasi paruppu halwa) made with yellow moong dal, sugar and ghee. This paasi paruppu halwa is completely different from North Indian moong dal halwa.

CARROT HALWA WITHOUT KHOYA USING PRESSURE COOKER

Carrot halwa | Gajar ka halwa is the easiest and delicious sweet recipe that can be made in jiffy.The best thing about this sweet is it takes very less ghee unlike other halwa recipes. It tastes the best when served warm with ice cream.

ATTA HALWA / KADAH PRASAD

Atta halwa also known as Atta ka sheera is one of the most popular sweet/ dessert recipe in North India. This is an Instant halwa made with whole wheat flour( atta in Hindi). This atte ka halwa is served as Kadah prasad ( Karah prashad) to all the visitors of Gurudwara ( A place of worship for Sikhs ) in Punjab.

CHEWY CORN FLOUR HALWA

This chewy Bombay Karachi Halwa also known as Jelly halwa  is prepared using the same ingredients of corn flour halwa but slightly different in procedure. The basic difference between soft halwa and chewy halwa (rubbery halwa) lies in the cooking time. Do click the image to see the recipe with video.

MAIDA HALWA

This is yet again a beginners recipe. It never goes wrong. You can make it soft or chewy as per your taste by changing the cooking time.

BREAD HALWA RECIPE

One of the best ways to use the leftover bread slices. It can be prepared so quickly with just milk, sugar and ghee.

MICROWAVE SOOJI HALWA

Sooji halwa / Rava kesari in Tamil can be easily prepared in a microwave oven too. Check it out.

TIRUNELVELI HALWA

If you are looking forward to try authentic Tirunelveli halwa recipe with whole wheat (samba godhumai), here is the link for you.

CARROT HALWA WITHOUT KHOYA IN KADAI

Traditionally carrot halwa is prepared in a wide kadai by boiling the carrots in milk. I have shared the same here without using khoya or condensed milk.

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Bellam Paramannam In Pressure Cooker – Andhra Rice Payasam With Jaggery

 Paramannam is a rice based sweet dish that is most popular in Andhra. This Indian dessert recipe is also known as annam payasam, bellam paramannam in Telugu. In simple words, bellam paramannam is nothing but Andhra style rice payasam with jaggery.  It is one of the most important naivedyam recipes that is offered to God for festivals like Sankranti, Varalakshmi Vratham, Ganesh chaturthi, Navratri and much more. This sweet dish is prepared with rice, milk, sugar or jaggery, nuts and ghee.

Authentic paramannam is made by cooking raw rice in milk in an open pot. But I prepared this bellam paramannam in a pressure cooker. It took just 15 minutes for making this Andhra style payasam recipe. Consistency of paramannam depends on the quantity of milk and jaggery syrup. It looks thin when hot and it thickens over time. So you can adjust the quantity of milk as per the desired consistency. There are chances of paramannam getting curdled when you add jaggery syrup to the hot milk. So you should always add the jaggery syrup after switching off the flame. You can make it perfect all the time.

So friends, try this yummy Andhra style paramannam recipe during this Navratri festival and enjoy. Lets see how to make bellam paramannam recipe with step by step pictures.

Check out my other Andhra recipes too !

Paramannam recipe - Bellam paramannam

Andhra style rice kheer with jaggery - Bellam paramannam recipe with step by step pictures.

Cuisine: Andhra recipes

Category: Sweet

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Raw rice / Sona masoori rice – 1/4 cup Boiled Milk – 2 cups or Milk + water – 1 cup each Sugar or jaggery – 1/2 cup (adjust as per taste) Water – 1/4 cup for syrup Cardamom – 2 nos (crushed) Cashews and dry grapes/raisins - Few

HOW TO MAKE BELLAM PARAMANNAM RECIPE

1. In a pressure cooker base, take the rice, milk. Put a spoon inside the cooker to avoid splashing of milk.
2. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Switch off the flame. Open, mash the rice well.
3. In a pan, melt jaggery and make a thin syrup.
4. Strain and add the jaggery syrup to the cooked rice when warm. Mix well.
5. Add the cardamom powder, roasted nuts. Boil in low flame for a minute.
6. Switch off the flame and serve hot or cold.

BELLAM PARAMANNAM - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash the rice. In a pressure cooker base, take the rice, milk + water or milk alone. Add a pinch of salt. Mix well, drop a small plate or spoon inside the Cooker. It helps to avoid splashing of milk while it whistles.  Pressure cook in very low flame for two whistles.  Open the cooker after the steam is released. Remove the spoon. Mash the rice with a whisk and make it mushy.  Add some water if it's too thick. Boil for a minute. Remove and Set aside. In a bowl, take the jaggery and add water. Boil and melt the jaggery completely. Make a thin syrup. No need to bring any consistency. Switch off the flame and let the syrup becomes warm. Strain the syrup in a metal strainer. Add to the cooked rice. Mix well and check for consistency. Add more boiled milk or water if needed. Do not switch on the flame. Heat ghee in a small kadai. Roast the cashews and raisins till golden. Add to the paramannam. Add cardamom powder. Mix well. You can add a pinch of edibke camphor if you like. Now Switch on the flame and keep it very low. Boil for a minute or two. Mix now and then. Do not roll boil. Paramannan should be just heated. Switch off the flame and keep it aside. Serve hot or cold as you like. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of jaggery as you like. Do not add hot jaggery syrup to the payasam. It may curdle. Instead of pressure cooking, you can cook the rice in an open pot. But keep stirring every now and then to avoid burnt bottom. You can also cook the rice in equal quantity of water and milk. You can add a pinch of edible camphor for more flavor.

Yummy, Andhra style rice kheer with jaggery is ready to serve. Tastes the best when served chilled.

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TE-A-ME ICE BREWS IN 5 FLAVORS - Product Review

 

Recently people from TE-A-ME Tea brand approached me to review their newly launched ice brews. TE-A-ME is a growing tea brand in India. TE-A-ME Teas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TE-A-ME_Teas) is a part of Madhu Jayanti International, launched in 2014. Madhu Jayanti International Ltd is a 75 years old food and beverage company based in Kolkata. TE-A-ME Teas comes in 20 flavors within 5 ranges like Signature Black tea, Natural Green tea, Wellness Tea, Fruit and Flower Herbal infusions and Aromatic spice teas.

Today July 15th 2018, TE-A-ME is launching a range of ice brews. It comes in 5 different flavors namely Lemon, Wild Berry, Peach, Mint green and Lychee. These ice brews are a delicious blend of fruits and herbs. They are healthy, all-natural without any artificial colors, no added sugar, gluten free and Non GMO. The concept of ice brews is to make our drinking water more interesting and flavorful. Its a no boil recipe. It can be brewed in few minutes just by using cold water. You can call this as flavored tea.

They sent me a COMBO pack of all the 5 flavors to try. Packaging was so good & neat. As we are a big fan of iced lemon tea, I started with it. As mentioned in the pack, it was so easy to make under few minutes. All we need is to just dip the tea bag in cold water for 5 minutes to infuse the flavor, taste and color. You can serve it adding ice cubes as you wish. If you like, you can make this tea in hot water as well.  No sugar or honey is required for this ice brews. It tastes naturally sweet and so refreshing. Sendhil and myself loved it very much.  Sendhil wanted to carry them to office and travel to have it during teatime. If you are bored with green tea, you can have this fruit flavored tea for a change. I have tried lemon & lychee flavors. Both are good. Iam yet to try the other flavors. I will update this post whenever I make it. If you love iced tea recipes, you must try these 5 flavors of TE-A-ME TEAS. You can check out all their products in THIS LINK. Combo of all the 5 flavors ( please refer the above picture) in one packet is also available to try before you buy a specific range. As a launch offer, 10% discount is available for all theese ice brew ranges. Check it out and buy your favorite friends !

HOW TO MAKE LEMON ICE BREWS

STEP 1 : Take a glass (250ml) of water.

STEP 2: Take a pack of your favorite ice brews and cut open the pack.

STEP 3: Dip the tea bag in water and stir well with a spoon. Rest for 5 minutes. Add ice cubes, garnish with mint leaves if you like. Consume immediately or serve later by refrigerating it.

WHERE TO BUY

You can buy TE-A-ME tea products in their website, Amazon and Big basket. 

Enjoy your tea time with this delicious, healthy, fruit flavored ice brews ! You will love it. 

  

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Mawa Ladoo Recipe In Microwave – Khoya Laddu Recipe

My regular readers are well known of my Thursday Guru pooja and Friday Lakshmi pooja. For pooja neivedyam/prasad, I keep trying varieties of sweets. It may be traditional or unusual sweets, I am trying it every week. Last week I tried South Indian style easy peanut ladoo for my Thursday pooja. So this week I thought of trying some North Indian sweets. 

I prepared this easy, yummy mawa ladoo / khoya laddu in microwave following Nisha Madhulika’s recipe. Though its my first attempt, it came out really well. Its so easy and quick to make. Fuss free recipe ! Usually North Indians make Sooji khoya laddu, besan khoya ladoo, khoya coconut laddu and khoya dry fruits laddu. Apart from these laddu varieties, many of you would have tried khoya burfi or gulab jamun with khoya. Do try this khoya ladoo for a change. I am sure you will love it. Its tastes is similar to doodh peda. Ok, lets see how to make mawa ladoo recipe with step by step pictures. 

Mawa ladoo recipe / Khoya laddu in microwave

Mawa ladoo recipe in microwave

Cuisine: North Indian

Category: Sweets

Serves: 5 

Prep time: 2 Minutes

Cook time: 2 Minutes

Total time: 4 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Unsweetened khoya / Mawa - 1/2 cup Powdered sugar - 1/4 cup Cardamom powder - 1/8 tsp Cashew nuts - few(roasted), Optional

HOW TO MAKE MAWA LADOO / KHOYA LADOO

1. In a microwave bowl, take the khoya/ mawa.
2. Crumble it slightly. Microwave in high power for 1 minute.
3. Remove the bowl and stir it well.
4. Microwave again for one minute. Remove, stir well and let it cool down.
5. Add powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Shape into ladoo.
6. Finish it within a day or two !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Take the mawa/ khoya and measure 1/2 cup from it. Keep it in a microwave safe bowl. Crumble slightly. Cover the bowl with a microwave safe plate. Microwave in high power ( 800w) for one minute.  Remove the bowl and stir the khoya with a spoon. Again cover it and microwave for one more minute in high power. Remove the bowl and mix well. Khoya may be golden brown in color slightly. Do not panic. But make sure its not burnt. Transfer the khoya to a plate immediately and let it cool down completely. In the mean time, take the sugar and 2 cardamom seeds in a mixie jar. Grind to smooth powder. Set aside. Take the khoya and crumble it finely with your fingers. Add the powdered sugar to it and mix well. Check for taste and add more sugar if needed.  If using roasted cashews, add at this stage. I din't use it. Take a portion of the khoya, roll tightly and make ladoo. Shape the laddu and serve immediately. Store in a box and enjoy for one or two days. This ladoo stays good for 2 days. It tastes more like doodh peda.  I decorated the ladoo by keeping a color dot and melon seed on top. Enjoy !

Note

Make sure not to burn the khoya while you microwave. If the power of microwave is more ( 900W or more) reduce the cooking time to 1 minute 30 seconds. Over cooking makes the khoya hard and chewy. Adjust the quantity of powdered sugar based on your taste. I feel 2:1 ratio of khoya and sugar is sufficient.

Do try this easy, yummy khoya ladoo and share your feedback with me !!

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Mango Custard Recipe - How To Make Mango Custard - Fruit Custard With Mango

 Mango custard is an yummy variation of fruit custard recipe. Fruit custard is my family’s favorite dessert recipe. I make it at least once in a month during weekends If I make Biryani or any variety rice for lunch. Raksha love it like anything. Recently I came across this mango custard recipe. Tried for the first time and it came out very well. It was a big hit in my home. If you are looking for some interesting, fail proof dessert recipes with mango, do try this mango custard recipe. You will love it for sure. For variations, you can replace sugar with condensed milk. You can use store bought mango pulp too. But make sure to add the mango pulp after the custard mixture cools down else it may curdle. Also serve immediately after adding mango pulp  else it will become watery. Ok, Lets see how to make mango custard recipe with step by step pictures.

Mango Custard Recipe - Fruit custard with mango

Mango custard recipe using mango, custard powder, milk and sugar

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Indian Mango recipes

Serves: Serves 3 - 4

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Boiled Full fat milk - 1/2 litre ( 500ml) / 2 cups Sugar - 3 tbsp to 4 tbsp Mango pulp / Puree - 1/4 cup ( I used puree of one mango) Vanilla Custard powder - 1.5 to 2 tbsp To Garnish Chopped mango - Few Chopped nuts - as needed ( I used almond, cashews)

METHOD

1. Boil milk in a pan. Add sugar, mix well.
2. Take some milk from the pan into a small bowl and add custard powder.
3. Mix without lumps. Add to the hot milk and mix well.
4. Switch off the flame and let it cool down in a refrigerator.
5. Wash and peel the skin of ripe mango. Chop to cubes and reserve 2 tbsp from it.
6. Grind the remaining to smooth pulp. Add the mango pulp to custard mixture.
7. Mix gently. Garnish with chopped mango and nuts. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled. Enjoy !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and peel the skin of one ripe mango. Chop them into small cubes. Reserve 2 tbsp of chopped mango for garnishing the custard. Grind the remaining to a smooth puree without adding water. Measure 1/4 cup from it and set aside. Alternatively you can use store bought mango pulp too. Take a wide pan or bowl and add the milk. Boil it. Add sugar and mix well. Boil in low flame. Take 1/4 cup of boiled milk and add the custard powder. Mix without lumps. Add this to the milk + sugar mixture. Mix well and boil in low flame till it starts to become thick. Check for taste, add more sugar if needed and boil for a minute. Switch off the flame. Custard is ready.   Refrigerate the custard till it cool down completely. It becomes even more thick after refrigeration. Just before serving, take the custard and add the mango pulp. Mix well and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with reserved mango cubes and chopped nuts. Serve immediately. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of sugar based on your taste. Check for taste and add more if needed. After adding custard powder mixed with milk, boil till it becomes slightly thick else it smells raw. Do not rest the custard for long time after adding the mango pulp. It will become watery. Remember to add mango pulp only after custard mixture cool down completely. It may curdle if you add when hot. You can adjust the consistency of custard as you wish. You can add more mango pulp if you like.

Easy, yummy mango custard is ready to enjoy !

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