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    Home » Dessert and Sweets recipes

    BOMBAY HALWA | KARACHI HALWA | HOW TO MAKE HALWA SWEET

    Published: Oct 16, 2021 by Kushi · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Bombay Halwa or Karachi Halwa is a melt-in-mouth Indian sweet recipe that you should try during this Diwali festival.

    Bombay halwa, karachi halva, how to make halwa sweet at home, Diwali mithai recipes #halwa

    I just cannot believe the Navaratri festive season is over with the blink of an eye, and Diwali is around the corner. Thanks for all the love and support you guys have shown me by reading and appreciating my Navaratri posts.

    Every year I plan to post multiple recipes for festivals because the choice of Indian sweets, snacks, namkeens are endless, but I end up posting only a couple of them.

    Bombay halwa, karachi halva, how to make halwa sweet at home, Diwali mithai recipes #halwa

    This year, I have several easy sweets and snacks recipes in my draft already. I will try to post as many recipes as possible so that you can try and enjoy them with your family and friends this Holiday season.

    Meanwhile, IF YOU LIKE INDIAN FOOD AND RECIPES, THEN YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK SOME OF THE POPULAR RECIPES FROM INDIAN CUISINE ON MY BLOG
    • BEST INDIAN SWEETS AND DESSERTS
    • DIWALI SWEETS RECIPES
    • DIWALI SNACKS RECIPES 
    • FASTING, VRAT, UPVAS RECIPES
    • POPULAR & EASY BURFI RECIPES

    Bombay karachi halwa, making of halva recipe from scratch, diwali sweets and snacks, #indiansweets

    Coming back to Bombay Karachi Halwa...

    History suggests that the origins of this halwa trace to Karachi, a city in Pakistan. But this halwa is also loved across the border in India and is referred to as Bombay Halwa. All I know is love for halwa (halua) sweet in India is endless. There are variations to halwa recipe, but this is one of our family's favorite. Unlike other halwa, which have a grainy texture, Karachi Halwa has a chewy, gelatinous texture.

    And let me tell you, homemade Karachi Halwa tastes much more delicious than any store-bought halwa mainly because of the quality of ingredients that go into its making and are also consumed fresh. At home, we use pure desi ghee; on the other hand, store-bought ones have a significant amount of vanaspati or dalda in them.

    Bombay karachi halwa, making of halva recipe from scratch, diwali sweets and snacks, #indiansweets

    What is Karachi Halwa or Bombay Halwa made of?

    It needs three main ingredients ghee, cornflour, and sugar. You can then flavor it with cardamom, saffron, rose water, etc. In addition, some food color is added to give them their signature yellow, orange, or green look.

    How does Karachi halwa taste like?

    Like suji ka halwa or moong dal halwa this is not grainy in texture. Karachi has a smooth and soft melt in the mouth texture, with ghee, cardamom, and rose water flavors. Depending on the preparation style and ratio of ingredients used in the recipe, this halwa can have varying degrees of chewiness.

    cornflour fudge, cornstarch, bombay ice halwa, ghee barfi, ramdan, eid recipe, mumbai barfi, desi ghee

    Is Turkish delight the same as Bombay Karachi Halwa?

    Turkish delight or Lokum is similar to Karachi Halwa and is prepared using corn starch and sugar. However, Turkish delight is covered with powdered sugar when served, but Karachi halwa is not.

    How to store Bombay Halwa or Karachi Halwa

    You can store Karachi Halwa in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks. Compared to other halwa with shorter shelf-life, Karachi Halwa makes a good candidate for mithai boxes during Diwali, Eid, and Christmas, as mithai boxes are packaged well in advance of the festive season.

    cornflour fudge, cornstarch, bombay ice halwa, ghee barfi, ramdan, eid recipe, mumbai barfi, desi ghee

    Ingredients for Bombay Halwa or Karachi Halwa

    1 cup Cornflour
    1 ⅓ cup Water
    2 cups Sugar
    2 cups of Water
    ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
    6 tablespoon Ghee or Brown butter
    2 tablespoon Cashews chopped
    2 tablespoon Almonds chopped
    2 tablespoon Watermelon seeds
    ½ teaspoon Food color ( I have used orange, and in powder form)
    ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
    1 teaspoon Rose water (optional)

    How to make Bombay Halwa or Karachi Halwa sweet recipe?

    In a bowl, add cornflour with 1 ⅓ cup of water and mix well to avoid lumps. Keep this aside.

    In a pan on medium heat, add sugar and 2 cups of water. When the sugar syrup begins to boil, add few drops of lemon juice and mix.

    Now add cornflour-water mixture/slurry and keep string. After five minutes of stirring, the mixture begins to look glossy. Now add ghee in increments of 2 tablespoon every 10 minutes. Mix until the ghee is entirely incorporated into the mixture after every addition. You can check the video here.

    traditional Indian sweets & desserts recipes, festival food, mithai boxes, #diwali #holi #eid #ramdan

    Add cashews, almonds, watermelon seeds, food color, and mix while adding ghee for the third time (around 25 to 30 mins mark).

    When ghee starts leaving the sides of the pan (40 mins mark), add flavorings such as cardamom powder, rose water, and mix well. Switch off the flame.

    Transfer this mixture immediately to a greased plate, garnish with more seeds and nuts if needed, and let it set completely. Cut them into the desired shape and sizes once the halwa mixture comes to room temperature and enjoy.

    traditional Indian sweets & desserts recipes, festival food, mithai boxes, #diwali #holi #eid #ramdan

    Tips:
    • You can add any nuts or seeds of your choice like pistachios, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
    • We have used orange food color. You can add red, green, yellow or make it plain translucent white without adding any color.
    • Corn flour in India is also known as Corn starch in western countries like Europe and the USA.
    How to make chewy halwa?

    The chewiness of halwa depends on the formation and stretching of gluten. While cooking this halwa, if the mixture is stirred vigorously for extended periods, the halwa gets a chewy texture associated with Karachi Halwa. The resulting halwa can be soft and mildly chewy if you use a gentle folding motion during mixing.

    Video recipe on making of bombay halwa | karachi halwa | corn flour halwa

    Detailed recipe for Bombay halwa | karachi halwa | corn flour halwa

    Recipe card

    Bombay halwa, karachi halva, how to make halwa sweet at home, Diwali mithai recipes #halwa

    Bombay Halwa | Karachi Halwa | How To Make Halwa Sweet

    Kushi
    Bombay Halwa or Karachi Halwa is a melt-in-mouth Indian sweet recipe that you should try during this Diwali festival.
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 50 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Dessert, sweets
    Cuisine bombay, Indian, Maharashtra, Pakistani
    Servings 24
    Calories 132 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup Cornflour / Cornstarch
    • 1 ⅓ cup Water
    • 2 cups Sugar
    • 2 cups Water
    • ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
    • 6 tablespoon Ghee or Brown butter
    • 2 tablespoon Cashews , chopped
    • 2 tablespoon Almonds , chopped
    • 2 tablespoon Watermelon seeds
    • ½ teaspoon Food color (I have used orange, and in powder form)
    • ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
    • 1 teaspoon Rose water (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • In a bowl, add cornflour with 1 ⅓ cup of water and mix well to avoid lumps. Keep this aside
      1 cup Cornflour, 1 ⅓ cup Water
    • In a pan on medium heat, add sugar and 2 cups of water. When the sugar syrup begins to boil, add few drops of lemon juice and mix.
      2 cups Sugar, 2 cups Water, ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
    • Now add cornflour-water mixture/slurry and keep string. After five minutes of stirring, the mixture begins to look glossy. Now add ghee in increments of 2 tablespoon every 10 minutes. Mix until the ghee is entirely incorporated into the mixture after every addition. You can check the video here.
      6 tablespoon Ghee
    • Add cashews, almonds, watermelon seeds, food color, and mix while adding ghee for the third time (around 25 to 30 mins mark).
      2 tablespoon Cashews, 2 tablespoon Almonds, 2 tablespoon Watermelon seeds, ½ teaspoon Food color
    • When ghee starts leaving the sides of the pan (40 mins mark), add flavorings such as cardamom powder, rose water, and mix well. Switch off the flame.
      ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder, 1 teaspoon Rose water
    • Transfer this mixture immediately to a greased plate, garnish with more seeds and nuts if needed, and let it set completely. Cut them into the desired shape and sizes once the halwa mixture comes to room temperature and enjoy.

    Video

    Notes

    • You can add any nuts or seeds of your choice like pistachios, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
    • We have used orange food color. You can add red, green, yellow color or make it plain translucent white without adding any color.
    • Corn flour in India is also known as Corn starch in western countries like Europe and the USA.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 3mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 0.4IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.2mg
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    Bombay Halwa or Karachi Halwa is a melt-in-mouth Indian sweet recipe that you should try during this Diwali festival. #halwa #halva #indiansweets #indiandesserts

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janessa

      October 04, 2022 at 1:31 pm

      5 stars
      This Halwa looks intriguing and the flavours sound like something that I would love. I can't wait to try making it!

      Reply
    2. Tara

      October 04, 2022 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      Such a fantastic treat! They look absolutely incredible and I love that melt-in-your-mouth texture. So good!

      Reply
    3. Beth

      October 04, 2022 at 1:43 pm

      5 stars
      Halwa sounds absolutely delicious! I love the combination of sweet and savory flavors and that texture sounds fantastic.

      Reply
    4. Joyce

      October 04, 2022 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      This was so chewy and addicting, thanks so much for sharing, I loved it!

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    5 from 13 votes

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    Hi, I'm Sridevi! I am a Software Engineer by qualification, a full-time Food Blogger by passion, a self-published Author, and a happy person two kids (monsters) ago.

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