When I saw shelves overflowing with various kinds of ladoos in sweet shops, all set for Deepavali, across the city I was reminded of a scene that old Hindi films never tire of. The hero’s mother, when he returns home after a day’s hard work — or after some romantic yodelling — presenting him with a platter full of ladoos, for those globes of dal and wheat were considered auspicious.
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Ladoos are a symbol of the festival, no doubt, but I think it is time we tipped our hats to other kinds of sweets that make the festival special. And on top of the list is halwa. What is wonderful is that the sweet can be prepared with different kinds of ingredients — from semolina and wheat flour to various pulses, vegetables and eggs.
The secret of a good halwa lies in the way the main ingredient is roasted. It has to be cooked for long, and, if milk is being used, you have to let it simmer for a while. Moong dal halwa is among the most delicious halwas I’ve eaten, and it comes out best when the dal is well roasted, and then cooked in ghee. The best moong dal halwa is to be had at Churuwala Marwari’s shop in Kucha Mahajani in Chandni Chowk. It is a small shop tucked inside a narrow lane, but if you follow your nose, the heady aroma of ghee will take you right there. At Chaina Ram in Fatehpuri, you can gorge on Karachi halwa, which is a chewy sweet prepared with corn starch.
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Karachi Halwa is made using fine flour and dry fruits. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
I enjoy the urad dal halwa you get at Giani di Hatti’s in Khari Baoli. Halwa prepared with wheat flour is best to be eaten at Chawri Bazar’s Shyam Sweets, which does a mean nagori halwa, a delightful sweet-and-savoury combination that comes in the form of a small atta disc topped with sweet, ghee-soaked halwa.
If you like semolina, you could consider Saravana Bhavan’s raisin-and-nut filled kesari. This week, of course, also belongs to the ubiquitous gajar halwa; big and small sweet-shops in all parts of the city are filled with this dessert Delhiites are so fond of! I articularly like he gajar halwa you get at Agarwal Bikaneri Sweets in Mayur Vihar Phase 2: it is fresh, and not thickened with khoya, as gajar halwa often is.
These are all rich desserts that warm us in winter. With Deepavali comes the first sign of the cold season that is just around the corner. The best way to beat the chill is by eating a dish that cheers you up. You could cook some unusual halwas at home, too. A friend prepares beetroot, bottle gourd or pumpkin halwa (grated, steamed with sugar, and then simmered in milk) to tempt her daughters to try out veggies that they otherwise reject. I have even had lehsun or garlic halwa, and quite liked the delicacy.
And now I am in search of egg halwa and gosht halwa, which, I am told, are largely prepared only in homes.
The word halwa is believed to have originated from the Arabic ‘halw’, which means sweet. For Deepavali, what could be sweeter?