I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of making Indian sweets. I LOVE to bake and have this bias in my head that baking something is not only healthier but also faster. And this isn’t news but I’m all about the word “faster” first and yes, healthier, next, in that order:)
Amma, on the other hand, is all about patience and taking that extra effort to conjure up the delish Indian desserts, . Notice I said I was not a huge fan of MAKING Indian sweets, not of eating them:) I have a notorious sweet tooth so its just perfect that Amma loves to experiment with desserts and I love to eat them.
Bombay Halwa always conjures up nostalgic images of the famous Bombay Halwa sweet-ery at Secunderabad/Hyderabad. The bright orange colored gooey sweets that are so famous for being conversation stoppers – the sticky desserts that they are. And so, Amma got this recipe from a show on Jaya TV..I don’t recall the name but was quite impressed with the recipe and the outcome. This one is something I would try…it’s simple and quick!
Ingredients
Sago – 1 cup soaked for 4 hours
Sugar – 1 cup
Ghee or clarified butter or brown butter – 1/2 cup
Cashews – 1 tbsp; roasted or lightly fried until golden brown
Crushed cardamom – 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
Ground nutmeg – 1/4 tsp
Saffron – a few strands soaked in warm milk
Food coloring – a few drops, optional (if using saffron, you may not need this)
Method:
1. Grind the soaked sago to a fine paste. The paste will resemble a gummy white mush.
2. Take a skillet or a heavy bottom pan, add the sugar, add about 1/2 cup water to this, and stir on a low heat.
3. The sugar will dissolve and begin to boil and get frothy.
4. Keep stirring the mixture until the water starts to evaporate a little; put a drop of the liquid between your thumb and forefinger and when you press your fingers and release, you should see a single “thread” of the sugary syrup. This is the test to indicate that the syrup is ready for mixing the paste.
5. Now add the white sago paste to the sugar syrup and continue to mix well, until it homogenizes. Add saffron strands soaked in milk here or the food coloring.
6. Add 1 tbsp of ghee and stir well. Keep stirring, adding the remaining ghee until you begin to see the mixture leave the sides of the pan and form a glistening gelatinous mixture or a “halwa like” consistency.
7. Add the cardamom and nutmeg powder and mix again.
8. Pour the mixture on to a greased plate or thaali and allow to cool. You may also garnish the halwa now with the roasted or fried cashews.
9. Once cool, cut into pieces and serve.