Atta Halwa (Aate Ka Halwa, Wheat Flour Halwa, Godhumai Halwa, Atta Ka Sheera) is a traditional North Indian dessert made using just 3 main ingredients – whole wheat flour, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter). This melt-in-your-mouth Indian pudding is easy to make and can be made for festivals or special occasions (vegetarian).
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About Atta Halwa
Atta Halwa (Aate Ka Halwa, Wheat Flour Halwa, Godhumai Halwa, Atta ka Sheera) is a popular North Indian dessert (especially popular in Punjab) made using 3 essential ingredients – whole wheat flour, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter).
It is one of the simplest desserts you can make at home in no time. The texture of this wheat halwa is very smooth, and it just melts in your mouth.
A good aata halwa is gooey, smooth, and loaded with ghee. Do not compromise on the quantity of ghee; otherwise, it will not turn how it should.
In Punjabi gurudwaras (Sikh temples), it is known by the name of kada prasad (karah prasad) and is served as a prasad in langar (community lunch).
Learn to make the best Punjabi homestyle atta halwa recipe at home using my foolproof recipe.
Serve this traditional recipe for a hearty breakfast or post-meal dessert. It is a great Indian dessert for festive occasions or special days.
This recipe is vegetarian and can be doubled or tripled easily.
Try a few more halwa recipes that can be served for festivals, celebrations, or other special occasions
- Bread Halwa
- Lauki Ka Halwa
- Rajgira Halwa
- Sooji Halwa
- Carrot Halwa
- Rajasthani Moong Dal Halwa
- Kaddu Ka Halwa
- Beetroot Halwa
- Besan Halwa
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Flour (Gehu Ka Atta, Chapati Atta) makes the base of this halwa.
The Indian wheat flour is slightly different in texture than the ones you get from American supermarkets.
Try to get chapati atta from a local Indian grocery store for the best result.
You can also add a little amount of fine sooji (semolina) for a different texture of the atta halwa.
Ghee – This halwa should be made in desi ghee (clarified butter) for the best result. If ghee is unavailable, you can make it in unsalted butter.
Sugar – I use granulated white sugar to make atta ka halwa recipe, but you can use brown sugar or jaggery powder too
I like my atte ka halwa very mildly sweet, but you can increase the amount of sugar per your taste preference.
Add crushed green cardamom or cardamom powder; it gives the halwa a nice flavor and aroma.
Nuts like almonds and cashew nuts give this halwa a lovely texture.
How To Make Atta Halwa
Heat ¾ cup ghee in a heavy bottom pan over medium-low heat.
Tip – Use a heavy-bottomed or thick pan to avoid burning the flour while roasting.
Add 1 cup whole wheat flour to the pan and fry on medium-low heat until the flour is slightly browned (6-8 minutes). Stir very frequently while frying.
Add 10-12 roughly crushed almonds and 10-12 roughly crushed cashew nuts and fry until the color of the wheat flour is changed to dark brown, and it starts to emit a nutty aroma (12-15 minutes ). Stir very frequently, and do not let the flour burn.
Tip – Roasting the flour is the essential step in this recipe. The final color of the atta halwa will be the same as that of the roasted flour. Make sure that you do not over-roast it. Otherwise, it will turn dark brown and will smell of burnt flour. And if not roasted well, it will taste raw.
Water or Milk? Once the flour is roasted well, add 2 cups of water, stirring continuously, and cook until the water is almost absorbed. You can replace water with milk for a richer halwa. The halwa will become very light in color at this stage but worry not.
Add 1 cup of granulated white sugar and ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and cook for 3-4 minutes. Once the sugar starts to melt and caramelize, the atta halwa will start to darken in color. Stir very frequently while cooking.
Garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Pro Tips By Neha
Heavy Bottom Pan – Use a heavy bottom pan to roast the flour and make sure to roast the atta until it is very nicely browned.
Low Heat – Also roasting the flour on medium-low heat gives the best result. Do not roast the flour on high heat otherwise, the halwa will have a burned taste.
Proportion is the Key – Make sure that you use the correct measurements of wheat flour and ghee. The halwa will turn out dry if an adequate amount of ghee is not used.
Nuts – Go generous with nuts. They add a lovely crunch to the halwa.
Stir – Make sure to keep stirring very frequently while roasting the flour.
My Little Secret – Adding nuts mid-way roasting is my innovative step. The slightly roasted nuts give a very nice taste to each bit and you don’t have to roast them separately, making the process easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kada prasad is nothing but atta halwa served as prasad (offerings to the god) at the gurudwaras.
When served in Gurudwara as kada prasad, this halwa gets a divine taste as it’s made with much love and devotion.
You will need slightly grainy and coarse flour to make the Gurudwara Style Kada Prasad.
At Gurudwaras, they make their flour and grind it coarsely. While at home, we use the wheat flour used to make chapatis. To make Gurudwara-style kada prasad, add some daliya (broken wheat) to a food processor and grind it to make fine semolina-like flour. Use this flour to make the halwa.
Replace sugar with 1 cup of powdered jaggery. You can add some khoya (reduced milk solids) to this variation. Jaggery gives the body the warmth necessary to sail through the winter months in Northern India, and this halwa made using jaggery is a great way to include it in your diet.
Yes, you can use unsalted butter instead of ghee, but the taste and texture of the halwa will differ. It tastes the best when made in ghee.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Atta Halwa hot or at room temperature as dessert after your Indian meals. My favorite way of serving this halwa is with Poori, Aloo Matar Curry, or Sookha Kala Chana.
In North Indian homes, whole wheat flour halwa is popularly made for a rich and wholesome breakfast, especially during winter.
Storage Suggestions
You can easily store aate ka halwa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheat in a microwave or a pan over the stovetop before serving.
Atta halwa doesn’t taste great when served cold as the ghee solidifies.
Splash a little milk or water while reheating if the halwa thickens.
You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and serve.
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Recipe Card
Atta Halwa Recipe (Indian Wheat Flour Pudding)
Equipment
- Kadai
- Heavy Bottom Pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup ghee
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (gehu ka atta, chapati atta)
- 10-12 roughly crushed almonds
- 10-12 roughly crushed cashew nuts
- 2 cups water (or milk)
- 1 cup granulated white sugar (or powdered jaggery)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan over medium-low heat.
- Tip – Use a heavy-bottomed pan or a thick pan, to avoid burning the flour while roasting.
- Add whole wheat flour to the pan and fry on medium-low heat until the flour is slightly browned (6-8 minutes). Stir very frequently while frying.
- Add almonds and cashew nuts and fry until the color of the flour is changed to dark brown and it starts to emit a nutty aroma (12-15 minutes ). Stir very frequently and do not let the flour burn.
- Tip – Roasting the flour is the most important step in this recipe. The final color of the halwa will the same as that of the roasted flour. Make sure that you do not over roast it, otherwise, it will turn dark brown and will smell of burnt flour. And if not roasted well, it will taste raw.
- Once the flour is roasted well, add 2 cups of water, stirring continuously, and cook until the water is almost absorbed. You can replace water with milk for a richer halwa. The halwa will become very light in color at this stage but worry not.
- Add sugar and cardamom powder and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Once the sugar starts to melt and caramelize, the halwa will start to darken in color. Stir very frequently.
- Garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Abir
You did well. I have tried it in my home it comes as it is. My family also love this recipe a lot. Thanks for awarding this delicious recipe. I hope you do more and more like this recipe. Great job!
PRANITA DESHPANDE
Very nice atta with great images.
Neha Mathur
Thnx 🙂
Vikram dobal
Great job….
Neha Mathur
Thnx