Kerala Black Halwa/ Karutha Halwa/ Rice Flour Halwa

Kerala Black Halwa/ Karutha Halwa/ Rice Flour Halwa

December has finally arrived and it means it is almost Christmas time! How many of you look forward to the Season of Joy! My birthday also comes in December, so it is a double celebration for me :) How is the Christmas planning coming along for everyone? It is exactly three weeks for Christmas and I am planning to share a few recipes for the holidays this year. This is the first one I wanted to share with all of you -Kerala style sweet delicacy- a real nostalgia, the Black Halwa.

Halwas has always amazed me with its simplicity, unique texture and taste. It is a gel-like sweet candy that you can never stop eating. When making halwa there is a time-honored cooking technique and halwa making is time-consuming. So people simply prefer to buy it from the shop. But making your own is a rewarding experience. Now many of the traditional sweets are forgotten or get overlooked for fancier ones in bakeries. But that is not the case with halwa. The love for this sweet has not diminished one single bit. It has stood the test of times and is stilled loved by both young and old. Halwas of multiple hues still adores the glass shelves of bakeries and sweet shops. Have you ever visited Kozhikode in Kerala? It is the halwa capital of Kerala. Mittayi theruvu in Kozhikode a street dedicated to halwas. It is so mesmerizing with lines of shops displaying halwas of multiple hues, flavors, and texture. 

The Kerala style black halwa tastes divine and is a die for! Black halwa is a regional favorite-a rustic confectionery that has a special taste that lingers in your memories. It is made with local ingredients, easily available like rice, coconut, and jaggery. Rice is a staple and coconut is quintessential in Kerala cuisine. So this recipe shows the uncanny ability to turn locally available ingredients into unique one- of- a kind delicacy. Coconut oil, coconut milk, cardamom, and ghee enhances the flavor and taste. The sweetener used is jaggery or unfiltered sugar from coconut sap. It has a rich molasses taste. This halwa is called karutha halwa meaning black halwa and it is due to the color of jaggery. It is best to use dark color jaggery or natural jaggery for dark color and richer flavor.

What is Halwa?

Halwa or halvah is sweet confectionery popular in Asia especially the West, Central, and South Asian regions. It has a long tradition and is ingrained in the culture and culinary tradition of the region from around the middle ages. Now I told you it is an old recipe and the first literary reference of halwa is from the thirteenth century. The word halwa is Arabic. But each region has developed its unique recipe for halwa. The Greek halwa is made with semolina and honey, Turkish halwa with tahini or ground sesame seeds and the Indian variety is made with semolina or flour. Other regional favorites are made with wheat flour, rice flour, nuts, lentils, fruits and also certain vegetables like carrots, yam or squash.

Is the Black Halwa unique to Kerala?

Black Halwa is a unique Kerala delicacy and is a regional favorite. It is made with ingredients available in the coastal region of South India like coconut milk, rice, and jaggery. Halwa with rice flour has a different texture which is soft and not chewy like flour halwa. The use of coconut oil, cashew nuts, ground cardamom, and dry ginger powder gives it is a unique taste. But there are recipes similar to karutha halwa. Dodol popular in Goa, Mangalore, and Srilanka is also made with rice flour and jaggery and looks similar. Now it is not surprising as these regions share similar culinary traditions with Kerala. Dodol is usually made for the Christmas feast in Goa.

Steps of making Black Halwa.

The most important ingredient which gives the rich dark color is jaggery or unrefined coconut sugar. The darkness depends on the color of the jaggery. It is best to use dark color jaggery or natural jaggery for dark color and rich molasses taste. In some regions of Kerala karipatty or palm sugar is also used. You can soak the rice and grind into a paste for this recipe. But I have found that using rice flour yields better result especially when it comes to texture.

The mixture of rice flour, coconut milk and jaggery has to be simmered and stirred continuously to avoid lumps and to prevent it from burning. It is best to cook on a medium flame for an hour.

Cook, until it reduced to 1/3 of its volume and the coconut oil, begins to separate and float on the surface. You can strain off this excess oil before transferring it to a tray.

When it reaches a gel-like consistency, immediately transfer into a greased tray or plate. Allow it to cool down completely, slice and serve.

Black halwa tastes best the next day. It has a shorter shelf like when compared to other halwas. Refrigerate it for up to two weeks. It freezes like a charm. So if you make a larger batch, just freeze it. It thaws quickly and tastes just the same.

How to make Kerala Style Black halwa

Cooking time- 1 hour
Recipe Type- Sweet
Cuisine- Kerala / India

Ingredients
Rice flour- 1 cup
Coconut milk- 7 cups
( Milk of approximately 2 coconut)
Jaggery - 1/2 kg
Sugar- 1 tbs
Ghee- 1/4 cup
Coconut oil- 1/4 cup
Cashew nut- 1/4 cup
Ground dry ginger- 1/8 tsp (optional)
Ground Cardamon- 1/2 tsp

The first step is coconut milk. Use freshly grated coconut. To extract coconut milk grind in a mixer for one minute. Strain and squeeze as much of coconut milk as possible. Add some more water and pulse in mixer one more time and strain again. Measure to see if you get about 6 to seven cup.

To make homemade rice flour wash and soak 1 1/3 cups of raw rice for two to three hours and strain into a colander. After five minutes spread the rice on a piece of cloth and leave it to dry for 10 minutes. Do not allow it to be completely dry. There should be a little moister left in the rice. Using a mixer make a fine powder. Sieve the flour to make sure there are no lumps and use get a real fine powder. Grind the large chunks again and sieve once again. You can also make a paste of this soaked rice and strain to avoid large chunks.

Bring one cup of water to a boil. Add powdered jaggery and allow it to dissolve. Strain the impurities and set aside.

In a heavy bottom pan or uruli add the coconut milk and jaggery. Add the rice flour and mix it thoroughly. Use a whisk to blend everything properly. Place on the stove and stir. As the mixture warms up, it will start thickening. It is important to stir continuously to avoid lump. Cook for 8-10 minutes or till the mixture turns to a soft dough consistency. At this stage start adding the ghee and coconut oil little by little to prevent it from sticking.
Add sugar and continue stirring. Sugar will caramelize and enhance the color.
Add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and half of the chopped cashew nuts.
Cook, until it reduced to 1/3 of its volume and the coconut oil, begins to separate and float on the surface. The halwa will be ready when it leaves the edges of the pan and can be rolled into a ball with the spatula. You can strain off this excess oil before transferring it to a tray.
Take a greased steel plate or tray and spread this mixture evenly (use the backside of a spoon to spread and make it smooth). Garnish with more nuts. Allow this to set for three to four hours and then cut into desired shapes.

You might also like,
Ethapazham Halwa/ Banana Halwa
Coconut Halwa
Orappam
Sharkara Appam
Chakka Varatti / Jack fruit Halwa
Neyyappam

Try it,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Chakka Varatti- Varattiyathu- Jack fruit Halwa/Preserve

Chakka Varatti/ Jack fruit Jam

Chakka or jack fruit is a common fruit in South India. Jack fruit is a seasonal fruit and there are several delicious jack fruit recipes. Ripe jack fruit has a distinctively strong aroma and is naturally sweet. It tastes best for desserts. Chakka varatti is a popular jack fruit delicacy of Kerala which is made with fully ripe jack fruit bulbs. Chakka varatti is mainly a preserve and if made in the right consistency can be stored and used for more than a year. Never heard of jack fruit jam? Well, you're in for a treat!

Making chakka varatti was a yearly tradition back home in Kerala. The smell of varikka chakka is divine. By the way varikka chakka is the variety used to make chakka varatti. It is very sweet, tastes like honey and has a firm flesh even when it is ripe. Jack fruit is the most versatile of all tropical fruits. It has a strong fragrance when ripe and your whole house with be filled with a strong fruity aroma. Jack fruit is seasonal but you can enjoy it year-round if you make this preserve. Chakka varattiyathu is also used as the main ingredient to make Chakka pradhaman/payasam . It is used to make sweet snacks like kozhukatta, kumbilappam, and Ela ada, etc. It is mixed with coconut and used as a filling for steamed dumplings.

There are a few things etched in my memory when I think of making chakka varattiyathu. The young me sitting with the elder members of the family, grandmother, and her sisters and listening to their stories. They used to talk about their childhood happy times and the sad ones like the recession, World War II and the time when food was rationed. During those hard times, jack fruit became a sustainable food and they made several affordable recipes with jack fruit. It changed my outlook on this fruit. Long story short I have started deeply admiring this fruit and its versatility.

Making this preserve involves a lot of patience and labor. Fully ripe jack fruit bulbs have to be first cooked with jaggery and ghee and then reduced to the form of a halwa. but I promise it is definitely worth the effort. Try this, and enjoy your delicious homemade chakka varatti :)

Ripe Jack fruit recipes from Kerala
Chakka Varattiyathu
Chakka Pradhaman/Payasam
Chakka Ada
Chakka Kozhukatta
Chakk Pazham Pori
Chakka Pazham Puzhukku

Jack fruit is common in Kerala and the state fruit of Kerala. Ripe sweet jack fruit is eaten as a snack by itself just like any other fruit. Young and tender jack fruit are used to make savory curries and stir-fries. When in the season it is considered as a staple food. Mashed jack fruit is prepared just like mashed tapioca and served with spicy fish curry.

Jack fruit has recently gained much interest as a plant-based meat alternative. It is starchy and rich in fiber. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamin c, magnesium, and potassium. It is good for your skin and boosts the immune system. The best place to find fresh jack fruit in the US is specialty markets like Whole Foods or Asian and Indian Stores.

How to make Chakka Varatti

Cooking and Prep Time- 2 hours

Recipe type- preserve/dessert

Cuisine- Kerala/ Indian

Ingredients
Ripe Jack fruit chopped-7 cups
Jaggery powdered-1 kg
Ghee- 1/2 cup
Cardamon powder- 2 tsp
Dry ginger powder- 1 tsp( optional)

Prepping the Jack fruit 

Use varikka chakka variety for this recipe. It is very sweet and firm flesh even when it is ripe and has a chewy texture. This variety has less fiber and is good to make chakka varatti

Cut it into half and then into four quarters. The pale-yellow, plump bulbs, which are edible and joined at the core. Slice off the core and use your hand to pull it away from the white fibers, discard the fibers and the rind. Save the seeds for curries and stir fry.

To make the chakka varatti 

Boil jaggery with one cup of water till completely dissolved and strain out the impurities. Put it back to the stove and simmer on medium flame till it thickens to one thread consistency.

Chop the jack fruit into small pieces. Add this into a blender and make a puree.

Take a heavy bottom pan and add the jack fruit puree. Cook it on medium flame and stir occasionally. Let it cook completely and thicken. This will take about 10 minutes. If you do not like the puree method, you can cook the chopped jack fruit and when it cooks mash well with the aid of a potato masher. 

Add in jaggery and let it cook and reduce. Stir continuously at this stage as the mixture will tend to stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Add in ghee little by little and when the mixture thickens add cardamom and dry ginger powder and stir continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and roll to form a dark softball. Let it cool down completely. It will thicken as it cools. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

You might also like,
Chakka Pradhaman/Jack fruit Payasam
Chakka Ada
Chakka Vattal/Chips
Chakka Kuru Ularthiyathu
Chakka Puttu
Sweet Kozhukatta


Try this...

Hope you will all enjoy.

Karah Prasad/ Wheat Flour Halwa

Karah Prasad/ Wheat Flour Halwa

Karah Prasad is served in Gurudwara as prasad for devotees. It is made with whole wheat flour/atta, ghee and sugar. It has a sweet smell and is so yummy. Try this rich and tasty halwa, you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Whole wheat flour/atta- 3/4 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Ghee- 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Water- 2 1/2 cup
Any toasted nuts of your choice

 In a sauce pan bring water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the flame and allow it to simmer.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add the wheat flour. Keep stirring and make sure there is no lumps. Cook in low flame for 3-4 minutes or till the raw flavor disappears and flour changes color to light brown. Carefully add the dissolved sugar and water as it has a tendency to splutter. Mix continuously to avoid lumps. Add cardamom powder and toasted nuts.It will thicken quickly and leave the edges of the pan. Stir till ghee separates and it turns glossy.Switch off the flame and allow to cool before serving.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Sesame Brittle/Ellu Mittai

Sesame Brittle/Ellu Mittai

Ellu Mittai/ sesame brittle is old fashioned sugar and nuts candy. Earlier I posed sesame ladoo recipe with jaggery. This brittle is made with sugar. It is easy to make at home and make crunchy,delightful and tasty snack. Crispy nuts with the rich caramel flavor is something that is irresistible and kids will surely love it. Here I have used sesame seeds,but you can use peanuts, cashew nuts or any nuts of your choice.

Ingredients
Sesame seeds- 1 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1 1/2 cup
Water- 3 tbs
Oil- 2 tbs
Ghee- 1 tsp
Baking soda- 1/4 tsp
salt- a  pinch
Cardamon powder-  1/2 tsp

 

Dry roast sesame seeds till it starts popping up and there is a nice aroma. Allow this to cool down.
Grease a baking pan with ghee and set aside.

In a heavy bottom pan add sugar, water, oil and a pinch of salt. Put this on the stove on low medium flame and heat it. The sugar will start melting and slowly caramelize. There is no need to stir in the first stage. Allow it to slowly melt. It will take around 10 minutes.

When it starts getting deeper color stir and make sure that all the sugar has melted evenly. Add a pinch of baking powder  and when it starts bubbling add cardamon powder and roasted sesame seeds. Give it a quick mix and pour on greased tray. Press and flatten with the back of a spoon or with a rolling pin.

Allow to cool and the break into small pieces.Store in air tight containers.

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Pineapple Bread Pola

Pineapple Bread Pola

Bread pola is a popular sweet/ snack of Malabar made with left over bread. It is an easy snack with a texture that resembles bread pudding moist and tender.The star ingredient here is caramelized pineapple.It is an egg based dessert and is slow cooked on stove top. This helps to infuse the flavor of pineapple. Try this you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Bread slices- 8
Eggs- 4
All purpose flour- 2 tbs
Milk-3/4 cup
Pineapple chopped- 1 cup
Ghee- 2 tsp
Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 1/2 cup
( according to your sweet preference)
salt- a pinch
Cashew nuts- 8-10
Raisins- 2 tbs
 

I used an 8 inch pan for this recipe. First add the bread slices into a food processor and pulse a few times to make it course and crumbly. Set this aside.
Heat ghee in a pan and fry raisins and cashew nuts. Drain and keep aside.
In the same pan add the chopped pineapple and saute and fry till it changes color to golden brown for about 5-6 minutes. Add half of the sugar and cook till all the sugar is absorbed and the pineapple is caramelized. Set this aside.
In a large bowl beat egg till light and fluffy. Add sugar and cardamom powder and beat well. Mix in milk, all purpose flour and and the bread crumbs. Add in half of the caramelized pineapple and mix well. Heat a pan with little ghee and spread this mixture evenly. Cover and cook in medium for about three minutes till the top starts to set. Now spread the left over pineapple, raisins and cashew nuts. Cover and continue to cook covered  for another 15 minutes in low flame till the top sets and the sides release from the pan. If a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean it is done. Gently invert it on to a plate and allow to cool. Slice and serve with tea.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Maa Ladoo/Maladu/Pottukadalai Laddu

Maa Ladoo/Maladu/Pottukadala Laddu

Maa ladoo is a delicious and quick sweet with  pottukadalai/roasted gram/chutney dal. It is a quick no fuss recipe and is usually made on special occasions like Diwali. It involves little cooking and can be made in a jiffy. Try this,you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Pottukadala/roasted gram- 1 1/2 cup
Sugar- 3/4 to1 cup
Ghee- 1/3 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts- 1/4 cup chopped

Heat a pan and dry roast the pottukadala in low flame till there is a nice flavor. Do not allow it to change color. Roasting is optional,but it enhances the flavor.

When it slightly cools down make it into a fine powder using a mixer. Sieve the pottu kadala powder and keep aside. In the same way powder the sugar,cardamon and sieve.

In the bowl add the powders. Heat ghee in a pan and add the chopped cashew nut and roast for a minute. Add the hot melted ghee into the pottukadala sugar mixture and mix well with your hands. At this stage it will resemble course sand. Make ball when it is warm other wise it is difficult to form shape. Take hand full of the mixture, press and roll into smalls balls. Allow to cool and serve.

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Carrot Halwa- A Guest post at Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Today is an exciting day as I have been invited to Swathi's home- Zesty South Indian Kitchen. Yes you guessed right,my first ever guest post and I am so excited :) When Swathi asked me to do a guest post,I just could not believe it and I felt honored.This being my first guest post makes it even more special.

Blogging was one of the best things that has happened to me, in the past two year.I started this space to express my love for flavors and my humble space was blessed with visits by some really versatile bloggers with great culinary talent. Swathi was one such early friends who's passion and energy has always been inspiring and filled me with awe.She presents delish food and always has a healthy edge to her cooking, with I really admire.

Today I am posting my favorite desserts of all Carrot Halwa. It will soon be( it is) celebration time for Swathi and her family.Her bundle of joy has arrived. This one is for you, Swathi.. For the full recipe please visit Swathi
Thank you for having me as a guest in your space.

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends and readers..

Enjoy

Besan Ladoo

Besan Ladoo

Besan ladoo is rich sweet made with roasted besan or gram flour.I had been wanting to try this recipe for a long time. The first time I made this was with ordinary gram flour which is commonly used to make these ladoos,but I messed up a bit and did not give the desired results. But this time I used ladoo besan which is little coarse and has a different texture. It came out really good.

Ingredients
Besan Ladoo-2 cups
Sugar- 3/4 cup to one cup
Ghee- 1/2 cup
Cardamon powder- 3/4 tsp
Chopped badam- 4 tsp
Raisins- a few

Heat one tsp of ghee in a pan and roast badam and raisins and keep aside. Mix ladoo besan with ghee into a crumble mixture,resembling wet sand and roast this in low medium flame for about 18-20 minutes continuously stirring. Do not speed up the process by increasing heat. The besan needs to be properly roasted and the raw flavor to completely disappear. The color will change to brownish red. Transfer the mixture into another bowl and allow to cool down a bit. Add in the nuts, cardamon powder and sugar and mix well. Make ball when it is warm other wise it is difficult to form shape.

Note: Always try to add sugar only in the end. Do not add in the cooking stage or when the mixture is too hot, the sugar will melt and become syrup. You can wait for one or two minute to slightly cool down and add the sugar and mix and blend well with a spoon and rest for one more minute before making the ladoos

You might also like,
Maa Ladoo/Pottukadalai Ladoo
Coconut Ladoo
Rava Khoya Ladoo
Aru Unda/Rice ladoo
Gulab Jamun
Balushahi

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy.

Balushahi

Balushahi (updated pic)

Balushahi is a traditional sweet of India made especially during festivals and feast. It is popular and much loved in South India and is also refereed to as badushah. All those who have a sweet tooth will surely love this sweet.It is like fried and glazed pasty that resembles doughnuts. It is sweet and has a slightly flaky and melt in mouth texture. It is made with flour,yogurt and ghee, fried and is dropped in sugar syrup. I did not get the cute round shape but I loved the flaky texture and everyone enjoyed :)

Ingredients

All Purpose flour- 2 cup
Baking powder- 1/2 tsp
salt- a pinch
Ghee- 1/3 cup
Yogurt- 1/2 cup

For the syrup
Sugar- 1 1/2 cup
Water- 3/4 cup
lemon juice- a few drops
Cardamon crushed-3-4

Oil for deep frying

In a bowl mix flour,baking powder and salt. Add ghee/butter and rub in ghee or butter with the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add yogurt and mix lightly till all comes together into a stiff dough. Do not knead much at this stage.It will not be a smooth dough just like for chapatis but will be flaky and easily falling apart.Allow it to rest for about an hour.

Make the syrup by adding water to sugar and bring it to a boil. Allow it to simmer till it reaches two thread consistency.Add lemon juice and cardamon and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan.Knead the dough a bit to make it easy to handle and little more smooth,but do not knead much. (The edges may looks rough and and cracked but will help to penetrate the sugar syrup later). Make small balls and flatten it slightly with your thumb. Fry in low medium flame till golden brown on both sides.Take out from the hot oil and after a few seconds drop into the sugar syrup and it remain for about 15- 20 minutes in the syrup. Take out and allow the glaze to dry.

Recipe source: Vahchef

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy..