← Back to Palm Jaggery

“This halwa was made for Diwali and for new sons-in-law visiting for the first time. You stood at the stove for an hour stirring without stopping. The colour — that deep brown-black from the karupatti — was the sign that the sweetness was real. Nobody who tasted it forgot it.”

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour (atta)	1 cup
Sree Kumaran Palm Jaggery (Karupatti), grated	1¼ cups
Water	3 cups
Sree Kumaran A2 Desi Cow Ghee	½ cup
Cardamom powder	½ tsp
Cashews, fried in ghee	15

Method

1. Mix wheat flour with 1½ cups of water into a smooth, lump-free batter. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. This helps the gluten relax and ensures a smoother halwa.
2. Dissolve grated palm jaggery in the remaining 1½ cups of water over medium heat. Strain through a fine sieve to remove any impurities. Set aside.
3. Heat a heavy-bottomed kadai. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee. Pour in the wheat flour batter and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly and vigorously, until the mixture thickens and begins to leave the sides of the pan — about 10 minutes.
4. Add the strained jaggery water slowly, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. The halwa will thin out and then begin to thicken again as it absorbs the jaggery. The colour will turn deep brown.
5. Add the remaining ghee in two batches, stirring vigorously after each addition until fully absorbed. This step takes patience — keep the flame at medium and never stop stirring.
6. Add cardamom powder. Cook until the halwa is glossy, pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan, and a small amount dropped on a plate holds its shape without spreading.
7. Pour onto a greased plate or into small moulds. Top with fried cashews. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting. Serve at room temperature.