Halwa — A confectionary that could not sound more Indian than any other sweet. That being said, Halwa or Halva was injected in Indian festivals and cuisines by the Arabs and Persian that invades years ago. – well, it does not sound very Indian anymore now, does it? – Nevertheless, we have made it more Indian than what it was before.
A page from History
The original Halwa sweet was brought by Persian invaders in India, from which it took its roots to the Halwa that we have. The very old recipe of Halwa dates back to early 13th century in Arabic in the books of dishes.
Birds of the same feathers
The varieties of Halwa could be numbered down to the n flavors available in the world, but the main ingredients of the dish remain unchanged boiling it down to only 2 kinds – one with flour and other with butter nuts. Flour Halwa in Indian is more northern than it could be of the south. Suji ka Halwa could be one of the most authentic of North Indian Halwa out there, sharing the lime light with Mohan Thal and Moong Dal (In this case the main ingredient is replaced either of the base ingredients; thal or moong dal) Halwa – these are the vegetable based halwa and can go on with carrot, pumpkin and more, as served at Rasoi Ghar. Whereas, the fruit based Halwas are made with flour and adding the respective flavors or fruits.
The down south of India, the Halwa or aluwa is translucent based, Nut butter Halwa. This is chewy and rubbery and can last for days together without and refrigeration. Also, the efforts and cost of consumable are less as compared to the later.
Best to have
In Tamil Nadu there is a street called Tirunelveli, which is known for its Tirunelveli Halwa, likewise, in Calcutta there is a placed called Mithai Theruvu – translating as Sweet Street. However, in the North any Halwai Dukan will have sweets and Flour based Halwa, if not check out our menu on Zomato in the sweet section.
