Aate Ka Halwa is a traditional North Indian dessert that is made using just 3 main ingredients – whole wheat flour, sugar, and ghee(clarified butter). This melt-in-your-mouth Indian pudding is super easy to make and can be made for festivals or special occasions.
Try a few more halwa recipes that can be served for the festivals, celebrations, or other special occasions – Bread Halwa, Lauki Ka Halwa, Rajgira Halwa, Suji Ka Halwa, Carrot Halwa, Rajasthani Moong Dal Halwa, Kaddu Ka Halwa, Beetroot Halwa, and Besan Ka Halwa.
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About This Recipe
Aate ka Halwa is a popular North Indian dessert made using 3 basic ingredients – whole wheat flour, sugar, and ghee(clarified butter).
It is one of the simplest desserts you can make at home. The texture of this 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 the way it should.
In Punjabi gurudwaras (Sikh temple), it is known by the name of kada prasad (karah prasad) and is served as a prasad in langar (community lunch).
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Flour – Although you can use any whole wheat flour available to make this halwa, making it using coarsely ground flour will give you the best result. If you have access to freshly milled flour, then there is nothing like it.
You can also add a little amount of fine sooji (semolina) while roasting the whole wheat flour.
Ghee – This halwa should be made in ghee (clarified butter) for the best result. If ghee is not available, then you can make it in unsalted butter.
Sugar – I have used organic light brown sugar to make this halwa. You can definitely go ahead and use granulated white sugar or even powdered jaggery.
Adjust the amount of sugar depending on your taste.
Add crushed green cardamom or cardamom powder, it gives a nice flavor and aroma to the halwa.
Nuts like almonds and cashew nuts give this halwa a lovely texture.
How To Make Aate Ka Halwa
Heat ¾ cup 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 1 cup whole wheat flour and fry on medium-low heat until the flour is slightly browned and leaves a nutty aroma. (Approx. 10-12 minutes). Keep stirring very frequently while frying.
Add 10-12 chopped almonds and 10-12 chopped cashew nuts and fry until the color of the flour is changed to dark brown and it starts to emit a nutty aroma. ( Approx 12-15 minutes ). Keep stirring continuously and do not let the flour burn.
Tip – Roasting whole wheat 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.
Water or Milk? Once the flour is roasted well, add 2 cups of water and cook until the water is almost absorbed by the flour. You can replace water with milk for a richer halwa. The halwa will become very light in color at this stage but worry not.
Tip – Stir it continuously to avoid any lumps in the flour mixture.
Add 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cardamom powder and cook the halwa for another 3-4 minutes. Once the sugar starts to melt and caramelize, the halwa will start to darken in color.
Garnish the halwa with slivered almonds and pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both Kada Prasad and Aata Halwa are one and the same thing. When served in Gurudwara as Kada Prasad, this halwa gets a divine taste as it’s made with much love and devotion. That taste is very difficult to replicate at home but this recipe is very close.
To make the Gurudwara Style Kada Prasad, you will need slightly grainy and coarse flour.
At Gurudwaras, they make their own flour and grind it coarsely. While at home, we use the whole wheat flour that is 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 also 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 in place of ghee but the taste and texture of the halwa will differ. It tastes the best when made in ghee.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Aata Halwa hot or at room temperature as dessert after your Indian meals. My favorite way of serving this halwa is with Poori and Aloo Matar Curry or Sookha Kala Chana.
In North Indian homes, this halwa is popularly made for a rich and wholesome breakfast, especially during winters.
Storage Suggestions
You can easily store the halwa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a microwave or in a pan over the stovetop before serving. This halwa doesn’t taste great when served cold. Splash a little milk or water while reheating if the halwa has thickened a lot.
You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
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Recipe Card
Aate ka Halwa Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup ghee
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 10-12 chopped almonds
- 10-12 chopped cashew nuts
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar (or crushed jaggery)
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan over medium-low heat.
- Add whole wheat flour and fry on medium-low heat until the flour is slightly browned and leaves a nutty aroma. (Approx 10-12 minutes). Keep stirring 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. ( Approx 12-15 minutes ). Keep stirring continuously and do not let the flour burn.
- Roasting whole wheat 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 water and cook until the water is almost absorbed by the flour. You can replace water with milk for a richer halwa. The halwa will become very light in color at this stage but worry not. Keep stirring it continuously to avoid any lumps in the flour mixture.
- Add sugar and cardamom powder and cook the halwa for another 3-4 minutes. Once the sugar starts to melt and caramelize, the halwa will start to darken in color.
- Garnish the halwa with slivered almonds and pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.
