The gentle nip in the air is the right time to indulge in this dollop of warmth. Here’s our curated guide to some of the best regional varieties
Caramelised halwa by Inderpreet Nagpal
Enter the Punjabi rasoi
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From the seasonal gajrela or gajar ka halwa to the Punjabi favourite atte ka halwa (also served as prashad), home chef Inderpreet Nagpal of Rummy’s Kitchen HerbsnSpices caters to different kinds of halwa cravings. She also makes a caramelised halwa of rawa, sugar, water and dry fruits that will sit pretty at the centre of a lavish feast.
Call: @rummyskitchen
Cost: Rs 525 (gajrela); Rs 500 (atte ka halwa or prashad); Rs 525 (caramelised halwa) for 1/2 kg
Halwa heritage
Haldar paak by Warsha Vimadalal
A family heirloom handed down across generations, home chef Warsha Vimadalal promises that haldar paak or haldi-adrak ka halwa is unique to her community of Gujaratis who migrated from Ghogha in Bhavnagar to Boisar, Palghar and Chinchani over 400 years ago. It’s a zingy, sweet medley of ambe halad or white turmeric, ginger, dry coconut, mawa, sautéed in ghee, along with a mix of halim or asaliya seeds, khus khus, grated coconut and finely chopped almonds that heralds the onset of winter. “This is my mother-in-law’s recipe that she learnt from her mother-in-law, and now, I’m making it,” shares the founder of the home venture, Sondevi.
Log on to: @sondevi1
Cost: Rs 2,000/kg (orders to be taken after January 18)
Colour me happy
Golden ice halwa mix and (right) mohini halwa by Mohanlal S Mithaiwala
Mohanlal S Mithaiwala offers a variety of colourful halwas — from sandwich halwa and ice halwa to badami and paper halwas. The badami halwa lends itself to different flavours, be it raspberry, orange, pineapple or kaju king. Rose gulab and jaifal to strawberry, there’s much to choose from among the sandwich halwas as well.
At: Zaveri Bazaar, Bhuleshwar, Grant Road, Vile Parle and Borivali.
Log on to: mohanlalsmithaiwala.com
Cost: Rs 240 to Rs 1,100 (approximately)
An iconic treat
The making of Mahim halwa at Joshi Budhakaka Mahim Halvawala
You can’t go wrong with Joshi Budhakaka Mahim Halvawala’s iconic Mahim halwa. Relished not just in Mumbai, but around the world, the confection is made of paper-thin sweet sheets made of wheat extract, sugar, ghee and dry fruits. The recipe dates back to around 1830.
At: Joshi Budhakaka Mahim Halvawala, Mahim, Dadar and Tardeo.
Meaty recipes
In the royal kitchen of Malwa, non-vegetarian halwas made a frequent appearance. Chef Anuradha Joshi Medhora of Charoli, which celebrates the royal cuisine, dishes out egg halwa and maas halwa to offer foodies a slice of the culinary heritage. Her winter menu also features hare chane ka halwa, chana dal halwa, as well as gajar ka halwa.
Log on to: Swiggy or @charoli_foods
Cost: Rs 330 (hare chane ka halwa and gajar ka halwa); Rs 275 (chana dal halwa); Rs 370 (maas ka halwa); Rs 330 (ande ka halwa)
Nourishing sweetness
Vasanu by Mahrukh Mogrelia
Home chef Mahrukh Mogrelia, who dishes out Parsi delicacies from Mahrukh’s Kitchen, is whipping up a fudgy halwa Call: ed vasanu that she learnt to perfect thanks to her mother. It is peppered with 33-odd ingredients that help to strengthen the body, such as shatavari, salam masala, lindi pippar and various root powders, all folded in with the richness of ghee, nuts and natural sweeteners like jaggery, dates and raisins. Mogrelia is also preparing batches of soonth paak — ginger powder mixed with gond, cooked in jaggery and almond and water chestnut flours — as well as soft, nourishing badam paak.
Log on to: @mahrukhskitchen
Call: 9892513577
Cost: On request
Ande ka halwa
Ingredients
>> 6 eggs >> 1 cup of wheat flour >> 1.5 cup of ghee >> 1/2 kg fresh Mawa >> 1 litre milk >> 1.5 cup of sugar >> 1/2 cup of almonds, blanched and cut >> 1/2 cup of raisins >> A generous pinch of saffron mixed in warm milk >> 2 tsp rosewater >> Elaichi powder to taste >> Freshly grated nutmeg powder to taste
Method
Hard-boil the eggs; peel and make a paste. Now, add ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Roast the wheat flour in ghee on a slow flame. Wait till the colour changes to golden brown; add the boiled egg paste. Mix in half the milk; combine well.
Now, slowly tip in milk while folding it in and letting it cook. Pour in rest of the milk and all the remaining ingredients, and mix. Let it come together on a slow flame and serve hot. It is a great recipe for winter mornings as it has all the goodness of eggs to help you power through the day.
Chef Anuradha Joshi Medhora
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