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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Shakkarpara Recipe With Wheat Flour–Wheat Flour Shankarpali Recipe

Shakkarpara/ Shankarpali is a most popular North Indian style deep fried snacks recipe prepared during Diwali and Holi festivals. It is popular in Gujarat and Maharashtra. It tastes mildly sweet and is served as a teatime snack. In South India, it is known as sweet maida biscuit. It is usually added in South Indian mixture. I have already shared that recipe HERE. Traditionally shakkarpara is prepared using maida, sugar, ghee and milk or water.

 Today I have shared shankarpali recipe using wheat flour/ atta. I watched few YouTube video recipes and came up with this version. As I wished,  it came out really well. It was super crunchy and mildly sweet in taste. Sendhil and Raksha loved it very much. They started munching even before it cooled down completely. I was very happy that my first recipe for Diwali and it was a big hit with my family.

 There was no big difference in the ingredients and taste of maida Shakkarpara and wheat flour Shakkarpara. Only thing is the color of wheat flour shankarpali is darker than maida ones. People who are looking for snacks and sweets using wheat flour must give this a try. You will love it for sure. For healthier options, you can also use jaggery instead of sugar and bake them instead of frying in oil. Ok, lets see how to make Shakkar para with wheat flour.

Check out my sweet maida biscuits and spicy diamond cuts too.

 

Shakkarpara Recipe Using wheat flour - Wheat flour shankarpali

Shakkarpara Recipe Using wheat flour - Wheat flour shankarpali

Cuisine: North Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: 1 cup

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250 ml Wheat flour / Atta - 1 cup Semolina / Sooji / Rava - 1 tbsp ( fine or coarse) Melted ghee - 2 tbsp Sugar - 1/4 cup Water - 1/4 cup (adjust upto 1/3 cup) Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Cooking oil - to deep fry

HOW TO MAKE SHAKKARPARA WITH WHEAT FLOUR

1. To make Shakkarpara, heat sugar and water in a kadai.
2. After the sugar is melted, switch off the flame.
3. Add ghee, cardamom powder and set aside to cool.
4. Add wheat flour, sooji, a pinch of salt and make a non-sticky dough.
5. Roll to a thick chapathi and cut into squares.
6. Heat oil to deep fry. Drop a batch of Shakkarpara and deep fry till golden in medium flame.
7. After the bubbles cease, remove the Shakkarpara and cool down to become crunchy.
8. Store in a box and enjoy for a week.

SHAKKARPARA WITH WHEAT FLOUR - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

In a kadai, take sugar and add water, ghee. Heat and melt the sugar. No need to bring any consistency. Switch off the flame. Add cardamom powder. Mix well. Let the sugar water cool down completely. Add wheat flour, semolina / sooji, a pinch of salt and mix well. Knead to a smooth, non sticky dough. Roll into thick 1 inch chapathi and trim the cracked edges. Cut into small squares using a knife or a pizza cutter. Finish the entire dough by making shapes. Collect them in a bowl. Heat oil to deep fry. Drop a pinch of dough. If it rises to the top immediately, oil temperature is correct.  Fry the Shakkarpara in batches in low to medium flame till bubbles cease completely. As soon as you put the shakkarpara in oil, do not disturb it for a minute. It will break it you touch it now. Let it cook in low flame. Then flip and toss it gently. Toss it whenever needed for uniform color. Color of wheat flour shankarpali would be darker than maida ones. So do not panic. Try to cook in low flame patiently by tossing it regularly. It helps to get nice golden color as shown in the pictures. But remember to remove them only after the bubbles cease. Remove them in a tissue paper. It tastes soft when hot. But it becomes crunchy once it cools down completely. Deep fry all the Shakkarpara in batches. Cool down and store in a box. It stays good for one week to 10 days. Enjoy !

Note

You can add sugar and water up to 1/3 cup based on the quality of wheat flour because some flour takes more water while kneading the dough. Deep fry shakkarpara only in low to medium flame else the outer layer darkens soon without cooking inside. So the next day it will become soggy and soft. Similarly deep fry all the batches properly. Even if one batch is not fried well, it will spoil the entire sweet. So please fry them patiently.

Try this yummy shakkarpara with wheat flour, you will love it !

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Chiroti Rava Kesari Bath Recipe – Chiroti Rava Recipes

Kesari bath is one of the most popular sweets and breakfast recipe in Karnataka. It can be prepared using chiroti rava / fine rava or coarse upma rava/ Bombay rava. I have already shared a rava kesari bath recipe using Bombay rava (Sooji, Semolina, Upma rava). Today I have shared Karnataka hotel style chiroti rava kesari bath recipe learning from my School moms friend Tara. 

Recently I tasted Chow chow bath from a popular restaurant here in Bangalore. They served Pineapple kesari bath and uppittu recipes along with coconut chutney. In that, I found Kesari bath with Pine apple is prepared using chiroti rava and rava uppittu with upma rava. So I too prepared the same at home and made chow chow bhath for our weekend breakfast. It came out really well equal to hotel taste.

 I am planning to make a post about chow chow bath this weekend. Before that, I wanted to share kesari bhath and uppittu recipes. Recently I posted rava uppittu recipe. Today lets see how to make Karnataka style chiroti rava kesari bath with step by step pictures and video !

Soon I will try to share banana kesari bath recipe that is prepared as prasadam for Sathya Narayana Pooja and Varamahalakshmi festival. Now don’t forget to check my fool proof recipe of Rava kesari for beginners and my collection

 of 12 Kesari varieties !

Chiroti Rava Kesari Bath Recipe - Karnataka Rava Kesari

Karnataka style rava kesari using chiroti rava / fine rava

Cuisine: Karnataka

Category: Sweet

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Chiroti rava / Fine semolina/ Fine sooji – 1/2 cup Sugar – 1 cup Water – 2 cups (1:4 rava & water ratio) Cooking oil – 2 tbsp ( Use refined oil) Melted Ghee – 1/2 cup Cardamom powder or pineapple essence – 1/2 tsp Cloves – 2 nos Cashews and dry grapes - Few Yellow food color - A pinch Salt - A pinch Pineapple pieces - 1/4 cup ( Mix with 1 tbsp sugar), optional.

HOW TO  MAKE KESARI BATH

1. In a kadai, heat 1 tbsp ghee. Roast cashews, dry grapes and cloves till golden.
2. Add fine rava and roast for 5 minutes.
3. Boil water adding food color. Add to the rava in low flame. Mix without lumps.
4. Cover cook for 5 minutes. Add sugar and mix without lumps.
5. Add 1tbsp ghee at regular intervals. Mix till kesari becomes non-sticky like halwa and release ghee in sides. Remove from kadai.
6. Transfer to a bowl. Scoop with a ladle. Serve hot or warm for best taste !

KESARI BATH - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

In a bowl, boil 2 cups of water adding 2 pinches of yellow food color. Let the water roll boil in medium flame. If you are using pineapple pieces or pineapple crush, you should add in this water. But soak the pineapple pieces in 1 tbsp sugar for 10 minutes before adding to water.   At the same time, take a good non-stick kadai. Add 1tbsp ghee. Roast the cashews, dry grapes and cloves. Add rava to it and roast in medium flame. Keep mixing the rava to avoid getting burnt. (Some people remove the roasted cashews +dry grapes in a plate and add at the end. But I add rava directly just like hotel ones.) Lower the flame completely or switch it off. Add the hot water carefully to the roasted rava. It splashes. So please be careful. Mix quickly without forming lumps.  Switch on the stove and increase the flame to medium. Keep mixing till all the water is absorbed by the rava. It becomes thick. Cover the kadai with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes in low flame. After the rava is cooked well and soft, add sugar to it. Mix well. Sugar melts and kesari becomes watery. Mix in low to medium flame till thick. Mix 1/2 cup melted ghee + 2 tbsp cooking oil (use flavorless oil like refined oil) in a bowl. Add 1tbsp of ghee to the kesari mixture. Mix till ghee is absorbed by the kesari. Again add 1tbsp and stir till its absorbed. Repeat the same till all the ghee is used.  Stir in low to medium flame. Do not cook in high flame as the kesari may turn chewy and hard. By this time, kesari becomes non-sticky like halwa. It leaves the sides and bottom of kadai completely, add the remaining ghee if any.  Keep cooking in low to medium flame. Kesari starts to release ghee in the corners slightly. Touch the kesari and check if its non-sticky. Remove in a bowl. It falls easily without any traces in the kadai. This kesari bath would be goey in consistency when hot. But it becomes slightly thick and scoop-able when warm. Pictures are taken after its warm. Scoop with a ghee greased ladle and serve hot in a bowl or plate. Enjoy !  PS : You can reheat it anytime before serving.For this, take a kadai and heat the required amount of kesari in medium flame. Do not add water or ghee. Just keep mixing. It will become hot and starts to release the ghee. Remove and serve hot. You can also reheat in microwave by keeping in high power for one to 2 minutes. Mix it once in the middle.

Note

Add 3/4 cup of sugar for mild sweet taste. Please do not reduce the quantity of ghee and oil. It helps to give softness to the kesari. If needed, you should add 1 to 2 tbsp more than the mentioned quantity.  In hotels, they usually add more vanaspati and less ghee. But its not healthy.  Addition of cooking oil helps to maintain the texture of kesari else it will harden as it cools down. But you can skip and add more ghee if you like.  Do not use ground nut oil or any other oil with strong smell. Use odorless and colorless oil. Refined oil is the best. If adding pineapple pieces, mix with some sugar. Let it soak. for 15 minutes. Add the pineapple pieces to the water. Boil till its cooked. Then add the water to the kesari. For beginners, please check my kesari bath recipe using Bombay rava. I have mentioned an easy, fool proof method.

Easy, yummy Karnataka style Chiroti rava kesari is ready to serve. Tastes delicious !!

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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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Peanut Ladoo With Jaggery – Groundnut Laddu Recipe - Verkadalai Laddu

Peanut ladoo with jaggery

 I learnt this easy peanut ladoo with jaggery (Verkadalai vellam laddu in Tamil, Shenga laddu in Kannada) from my friend Shalini. Its just a two ingredients recipe with two step process. She told this laddu recipe is very special among her community people in Andhra (Telugu). There is also a popular snacks shop in Shevapet, Salem that sell this ladoo. My husband Sendhil loves peanut based low calorie snacks like peanut chikki / Kadalai mittai. When I was telling this to my Shalini, she suggested this healthy ladoo recipe with the same combination of peanut and jaggery just like chikki. As we all know peanut and jaggery when eaten together gives us immense health benefits. So I was double happy to learn this easy, low calorie peanut laddu recipe without ghee. I made this for my Thursday Guru Pooja neivdeyam. This laddu became a super hit recipe in my house😃. Friends, you too give a try. If you have roasted and deskinned peanuts in hand, you can make this laddu in the next 5 minutes. You can also pack it for kids and adults snacks box. This peanut laddu stays good upto one week. So you can make, store and enjoy anytime. Ok, lets see how to make this simple, easy, yummy and super healthy peanut jaggery ladoo with step by step pictures.

Check out my Peanut chutney recipes in this link.

Peanut ladoo with jaggery

Peanut ladoo with jaggery - Healthy, easy sweet recipe with peanuts.

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: 8 nos

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 5 Minutes

Total time: 10 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup -250ml Roasted & Deskinned Peanuts - 1/2 cup Grated or powdered jaggery - 1/2 cup( add 2tbsp more for extra sweetness)

METHOD

1. Dry roast the peanuts in a kadai or microwave roast the peanuts for 2 to 3 minutes in high power.
2. Rub the roasted peanuts and remove the skin.
3. In a mixie jar, grind the peanuts coarsely.
4. Add the grated jaggery and grind again to smooth powder.
5. Make balls tightly and store in an air tight jar. Serve and enjoy !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Dry roast the raw peanuts in a kadai. Roast  in medium flame till its skin crackles. Switch off the flame and let the peanuts be in the hot kadai. It will become crispy only after it cools down. So wait patiently. Alternatively you can roast the peanuts in microwave oven too. For this, spread the peanuts in a microwave plate. Roast in high power for 2 to 3 minutes. I kept in 800w power for 2 minutes 30 seconds. Switch off the microwave and let the peanuts be inside the hot oven. It will become crispy once it cool down. Now take the roasted peanuts in a small cloth bag(Manja pai) or in a plastic cover. Rub it well to remove the skin. Collect the roasted peanuts in a plate. Grind the roasted peanuts coarsely. Then add the grated jaggery and grind again to smooth powder. Check for taste. Add more jaggery and grind again if needed. Do not grind for long time continuously. Oil releases from the peanuts and becomes like a paste. So just pulse it to mix well. Remove the powder in a plate. Roll tightly and shape into ladoo. Store in an air tight jar and use it within a week. Enjoy !

Note

You can add 2 tbsp extra jaggery for more sweetness. Usually the ratio of peanuts and jaggery is 1:1.  Ghee is not needed as the oil from peanut helps to shape ladoo. You can add cardamom powder while grinding if you like.

Try this easy, yummy, healthy peanut ladoo for your kids and family. They will love it !

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