Singhara Atta Halwa: The holy festival of Navratri has arrived, and with it comes fasting and the aroma of delicious fruit dishes. During these nine days, when we worship Maa Durga, we often feel like eating something which is light, satvik and at the same time full of taste. In such a situation, water chestnut flour halwa is a great option. It is not only easy to make, but is also rich in nutrition and filling.
Today we are going to share with you a very simple and delicious method of making water chestnut flour halwa, which you can definitely try in your next Navratri puja. It is so delicious that you will feel like making it during every fast.
Singhara Atta Halwa
Water chestnut flour halwa is a traditional vrat special sweet, made especially during Navratri and other fasts. It is prepared by frying water chestnut flour in ghee, cooking it with milk or water and sugar. Its taste and aroma are enhanced by adding cashew nuts, almonds and cardamom. Apart from being delicious, this halwa is also energy giving, hence it is liked a lot during fasting.
Calories 220kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup water chestnut flour
- ½ cup desi ghee
- ½ cup Sugar
- 2 cup Water
- ½ small spoon cardamom powder
- 2 tablespoons Almonds and Pistachios finely chopped, to garnish
- 4-5 saffron threads soaked in hot water or milk, optional
Instructions
Step 1: Gather all the ingredients in one place
- Before starting any recipe, it’s best to measure and gather all your ingredients in one place. This makes cooking very easy and you do not have to run here and there to find something in between. Keep water chestnut flour, ghee, sugar, water, cardamom powder and dry fruits all ready at one place.
![Ingredients for singhare ka atta halwa.]()
Step 2: Prepare a mixture of water and sugar
- Add 2 cups water and ½ cup sugar in a deep bottomed pan. Let it heat on medium flame. Keep stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves completely. We do not have to make any syrup, just the sugar should dissolve. When the sugar dissolves, turn off the flame and keep it aside. If you want, you can also add saffron threads in it at this stage so that their color and fragrance come into the water well.
![Heating saffron in water.]()
Step 3: Fry water chestnut flour in ghee
- Now take a heavy bottomed kadai or non-stick pan and add ½ cup desi ghee in it. Let the ghee heat on medium flame. When the ghee melts and becomes slightly hot, add 1 cup water chestnut flour to it. Now reduce the flame completely. It is very important that you keep the flame low, as water chestnut flour can burn very quickly. Start frying the flour while stirring it continuously. You have to fry it until a nice, aromatic aroma starts coming from it and its color becomes light golden.
![Adding flour to melted butter in a pan.]()
- This may take about 8-10 minutes. Be patient and keep stirring it continuously so that it gets roasted evenly from all sides. Some people like to fry the flour a little darker, while others like it lighter. It depends on your taste. When the flour is roasted, it will start feeling a little light and crumbly.
Step 4: Add water-sugar mixture to roasted flour
- When water chestnut flour is roasted well and aroma starts coming from it, reduce the flame to low. Now slowly add the prepared water-sugar mixture into the flour. Be very careful at this time as the mixture will steam as you pour it and may splatter. Keep adding the mixture with one hand and stir the flour continuously with the other hand so that no lumps form.
![Pouring saffron water into a thick brown mixture in a pan.]()
- This step is very important to make the halwa smooth and velvety. After adding the mixture, reduce the flame to medium and keep stirring it continuously. You will see that the flour will immediately start absorbing water and becoming thick. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes completely thick and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
Step 5: Add cardamom powder and prepare halwa
- When the halwa becomes thick and starts leaving the sides of the pan, add ½ tsp cardamom powder to it. Cardamom powder adds a wonderful aroma and flavor to the halwa. Mix it well. You will see that the halwa has now started looking shiny and its texture has also become perfect.
![Brown dessert topped with chopped nuts in a bowl.]()
- Cook the halwa for a minute or two more, just to make sure all the flavors combine well and the halwa is cooked completely. When the halwa is cooked, it will start separating from the sides of the pan and gathering together. At this time, if you want, you can also add some chopped nuts to it, which will give a crunchy texture to the halwa.
Step 6: Serve hot and garnish with dry fruits
- Your delicious water chestnut flour halwa is now ready to serve! Take it out in a serving bowl. Garnish with remaining chopped almonds and pistachios. If you want, you can also add a few threads of saffron, which will not only make it beautiful but will also give a royal fragrance. The taste of hot halwa is something different. It will also give you energy during the fast and will also satisfy your sweet cravings. So, your hard work has paid off and you have prepared a wonderful fruit dish.
![Singhara Atta Halwa in bowl.]()
Notes
Tips and Tricks:
- Amount of Ghee: Some people like more ghee in halwa, while some like less. If you like a little more ghee in the halwa, you can increase 2-3 more tablespoons of ghee. However, water chestnut flour absorbs a little more ghee, so take care of the right amount. When the flour is roasted well, the ghee will start appearing slightly separate, this is an indication that the flour has been roasted well.
- Focus of flame: Water chestnut flour burns very quickly. Therefore, when you are roasting the flour, always keep the flame low and keep stirring it continuously. Even a little carelessness can spoil the taste of your halwa.
- Do not allow knots: When you add the water-sugar mixture to the flour, keep stirring it continuously so that no lumps form. If you want, you can also use a whisk so that the mixture becomes completely smooth.
- Dry Fruits: You can use any dry fruits as per your choice like cashews, raisins, walnuts etc. You can also fry them lightly in ghee, which will further enhance their taste.
- Use of milk: Some people use milk instead of water, which makes halwa more tasty and nutritious. If you are using milk, then use 2 cups of milk and add it to the flour only after heating it.
- Sugar content: If you like it sweeter, you can increase a little sugar. Jaggery can also be used instead of sugar during fasting, but adding jaggery will make the color of the halwa a little darker.
- Saffron Colour: If you want a beautiful yellow or orange color in the halwa, then soak a few saffron threads in water-sugar mixture and add them. This will give a royal look to the halwa.
- Freshness: Water chestnut halwa tastes best when hot. Prepare it and serve it immediately. However, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but warm it slightly before serving.
- Texture: If you like the halwa to be a little grainy, then do not smooth it too much. And if you like it very smooth, keep stirring until it becomes completely velvety.
The post Navratri Special: Make delicious water chestnut flour pudding in minutes appeared first on NewsUpdate.
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