Tirunelveli Halwa (திருநெல்வேலி ஹல்வா )

 Tirunelveli Halwa

திருநெல்வேலி ஹல்வா 

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat ( samba wheat) சம்பா கோதுமை- 1 cup

Sugar / சக்கரை- 2 cups + 3 tablespoons

Ghee / Clarified butter நெய்- 1 1/2 cups

Cashewnuts / முந்திரிப்பருப்பு - 10 to 12 Numbers.

Clean, rinse, and soak the whole grain for 8 hours. Wash again, grind and extract milk from the paste. 

Transfer the wheat milk to a tall container and let it sit for an hour or two.

         

Remove the water that has come to the top surface and use the thick milk for the sweet process.

Do not drain the water completely

In a heavy bottom pan, add the sugar and half a cup of water and let it boil on medium fire.

In a separate pan, add 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of water and boil on low flame. Caramelize the sugar and transfer it to the main sugar syrup.

Add in the wheat milk and stir continuously. In a few minutes, it will form a gluey consistency.  

Stir continuously and cook on medium flame. The natural brown colour is formed because of the caramelized sugar.

Ghee 

Ghee is melted over hot water.

 

                             

                pour the melted ghee in small portions in frequent intervals. Add in the cashew nut pieces. Stir continuously. 

When the ghee leaves the side and the halwa is smooth and glazy, it is time to remove it from heat. 

Lip-smacking hot Halwa is ready to relish.

My Notes:

    The silky soft Tirunelveli halwa is a favourite of all and has been my dream to prepare it. I was not ready to take the hand exercise to turn the halwa continuously and also the doubt to get the perfect one. I was proved wrong by my very first attempt to prepare Halwa for the 2020 Deepavali. I was awed by the outcome and vowed to make halwa whenever possible.

One of the authentic sweet with simple ingredients but a great taste and fond memories of the taste lingering long. No other sweet can give this feel. Irresistable. 

An amazing thing I discovered was, without any artificial food colour, the glazy brown colour was achieved with the caramelised sugar. Also in this recipe, fresh raw cashew nuts are added and let it cook in the ghee. This is how I have had tasted in the original sweet from the shop. 

You can use a clean white cloth to extract the milk. 

Do not drain the water completely as the milk will be very thick and while cooking this forms the gluey texture is reached soon and the raw smell may be there. Wheat milk should neither be too watery nor thick.

The Lala Mittai Kadai at Madurai is famous for this sweet and we do not miss the chance to eat the fresh hot halwa from a leaf and a handful of their famous mixture. My father in law prefers ladies to be seated in the car and not stand on the road but he will not deprive us of tasting the hot halwa. He himself will bring our portions and is happy to see the family savour.