Singhare ke Atta ka Halwa | Halva with Water Chestnut Flour

Last week I had posted the recipe for Aani Basar by Nikita Jhanglani. Today it is my pleasure to post this recipe for Singhare ke Atte ka Halwa by her lovely mother Heena Jhanglani. It is also Mrs. Jhanglani’s birthday today so it is the perfect day to post this recipe.

Happy Birthday, Aunty! 🙂

Mrs. Jhanglani regularly sends us traditional Sindhi goodies along with Nikita’s lunch. (Well, they are a part of Nikita’s lunch but she cannot not share it with us, can she? :p)

Nikita had shared this Singhara Halwa made with Water Chestnut Flour during lunch with us this past month and I instantly fell in love with its nutty taste. There was also a lovely little story associated with this dish. Nikita tells us that it was her Naani (maternal grandmother) who made this halwa often and that it had not been made for sometime in their home. Then one day, while pondering what to cook for a day of fasting, her mother suddenly remembered this recipe and made it. I am glad she did because I got to discover a new dish. 🙂

I also am hoping that this recipe is the first of many that I can post this year as a part of the Navratri Vrat Recipes series. As a South Indian, fasting during Navratri is a bit alien to me. However, I have seen my friends from West and North of India fast during the 9 days of Navratri (October 13 to 22, 2015). During this period, they do not eat any grain-based dishes and use potato, sweet potato, water chestnut flour, amaranth flour and the like to cook.

How to Make Singhara Halwa (Singhare ke Atte ka Halwa)

Serves: 4 to 6

Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

1. Shinghara Atta – 1 Cup
2. Sugar – 1 Cup
3. Ghee – 1/4 Cup
4. Water – 2 Cups
5. Green Cardamom – 6 to 8
6. Almonds – 4 to 6

Method to Make Shingare ke Atte ka Halwa

1. To Prepare the Almonds: 
   1. Boil a little water.
   2. Turn of the heat.
   3. Put the almonds in the hot water.
   4. Cover and set aside for 5 to 7 minutes.
   5. Drain the water.
   6. Peel the almonds. Just press the narrow end of the almond and the almond will pop-out leaving the peel in your hand.
   7. Chop the blanched almonds into thin slivers.
2. To Prepare the Cardamom
   1. Peel and powder the cardamom.
3. To Make the Shinghara Halwa
   1. In a heavy bottomed vessel or kadhai, over medium flame, melt the ghee.
   2. Add the Shinghada Atta and saute till it starts to change colour.
   3. Add the sugar and cardamom powder.
   4. Mix well.
   5. While stirring constantly, gradually add the water. Ensure that no lumps are formed.
   6. Cook over medium heat till the ghee starts to separate at the edges.
   7. Turn-off the heat.
4. Garnish with slivered almonds.
5. Offer Singhara Halwa as naivedyam and serve as prasadam.

Tips

• Do use the stated amount (or even more) ghee. I made one batch of “diet” halwa with 2 tbsp ghee and it was an absolute disaster.
• You do not need more that 2 cups water for 1 cup of Shinghara Atta. It may look less but it is not. This I tell you from experience. 😀
• Be sure to saute the flour well till it is aromatic and just starts to change colour.
• Always serve Shinghara Halwa after warming it. When it is cold, it is a bit gluggy.