Name: Atta Halwa (Wheat Halwa) - Classic Indian Dessert
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 cup ghee (clarified butter); 1 cup atta (whole wheat flour); 1 cup sugar; 2 cup water

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Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.

This recipe for Atta Halwa (Wheat Halwa) came from my podcast guest, Karishma. Make sure you listen to her episode Women Are The Makers while you make her Atta Halwa (Whole Wheat Flour Halwa).

three wooden bowls filled with Indian Atta Halwa and topped with sliced almonds

This Indian Wheat Halwa recipe tests the many meanings of the word "simple". This Indian dessert is a traditional recipe and is deceptively simple in the sense that it uses only 4 basic ingredients, only requires a pot and a stove, and has a simple technique: simply stir, combine, and stir some more.

However, as my guest Karishma shares, it is easy to make Halwa incorrectly - either too sweet, too wet, or too dry. As with most recipes, this comes down to preference and experience.

Atta Halwa may be simple in its preparation and ingredients, but its flavor is anything but ordinary. The nutty, subtle flavor of the wheat flour is cooked slowly and in a generous amount of ghee which makes a layered and rich flavor and a delicious dessert. Excuse the example, but speaking to other Americans, previously unfamiliar with halwa, the flavor is not unlike a browned butter cookie batter.

P.S. Looking for another great recipe for Indian desserts? Try this recipe for Thambuttu: Festive No Bake Banna Dessert from Coorg (India).

Karishma's Memories of Making Atta Halwa

I remember we kids used to sit in a line, waiting eagerly for [my grandmother's] halwa and she used to serve it with so much love and affection. Growing up as time passed by, she used to go to the temple regularly and made this as an offering. She used to make it in extra quantities as she knew me and my sister enjoyed it very much. Till today, she makes it and rings me up saying that she is remembering me making this! I am married and have moved to another country now. Now at a distance, I make it too, but her expertise is unmatched.

-Karishma

Top Tips

Your Halwa can burn within a blink of an eye so in addition to keeping a watchful eye on it and constantly whisking it, use a heavy-bottomed pot to keep the Atta (whole wheat flour) from burning.

Get good quality ghee and don't use less ghee than the recipe calls for. Ghee is what gives Atta Halwa its distinctive glossy smooth texture.

Patience! Keep on a low heat even if it takes a little while. Think of it like making caramel if this is your first time making Halwa. One second it is sugar and the next it is burnt unless you keep a watchful eye on it, so employ the same tactic while making this recipe.

ingredients for Indian halwa recipe in light bright images

Ingredients & Substitutions

The ingredients for this Atta Halwa recipe couldn't be simpler. Simply follow the 1:1:1:2 ratio

Ghee - clarified butter, make sure you buy good quality ghee since it is one of four ingredients
Atta - whole-wheat flour, the roasted flour will have a nutty aroma when
Sugar - you can substitute white sugar (or brown sugar) for jaggery, but you will need to add more jaggery than sugar because it is less sweet
Water

Optional Toppings

Nuts of your choice
Dry fruits such as raisins
Cardamom powder

Optional Sides to Serve With Atta Halwa

Karishma enjoys her halwa with fried bread and black lentils.

pouring flour (Atta) into a pot for an Indian halwa recipe

Instructions

Mix water and sugar and bring to a boil just until sugar dissolves and remove it from the heat. Set aside.
In a heavy bottom pot, heat ghee and add atta. Cook on a low flame (or medium-low heat if you have an electric stovetop) until the color gradually changes to golden brown.
Add the syrup and continue to cook on low till it absorbs all the water.
Cook until the ghee oozes out of the sides of the halwa.
Once the texture becomes sandlike, continually stir. It can burn very fast and become dark brown (which you don't want). The final dish should attain a golden-near-brown color.
Serve hot.

pouring water in a pot for indian atta halwa recipe

When Is Atta Halwa Eaten?

Atta Halwa is a popular North Indian dessert recipe that is made in many Indian homes to be eaten as a special treat during a festive season or holiday.

Karishma shared that Atta Halwa is served in the religious temples in India. In Hinduism, Prasad is a religious offering made to a deity who partakes in it, consecrates it, and then gives it back to their followers who then eat it.

In Sikhism religion, a dish called karah prasad or kada prasad or kada prashad (made with the same ingredients as halwa) is regularly eaten during worship services and special occasions in Sikh temples.

source: Britannica

3 bowls of halwa with almonds on top backlit on a decorative shallow basket

Equipment

Heavy-bottomed pot
Decorative serving dish OR individual serving bowls (optional)

Storage

Best when eaten warm.
Can keep any leftover halwa in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

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