Godhumai Halwa or popularly called as Tirunelveli Halwa or Iruttu Kadai Halwa Recipe with step by step pictures.
This is the traditional way of making godhumai halwa by extracting milk from samba whole wheat berries,cooking in ghee till it reaches the desired consistency.Check the small insta video that I posted.I have already posted wheat flour halwa but always wanted to try this traditional method with samba godhumai.As I have experience stirring wheat halwa, I just tried with a small quantity today as its really tough to stir single handedly.But its worth the effort I can say, the halwa just melts in your mouth...hot wheat halwa with dripping ghee is a delighful sight to see...What more taste a spoonful its heaven I say :))
This is the traditional way of making godhumai halwa by extracting milk from samba whole wheat berries,cooking in ghee till it reaches the desired consistency.Check the small insta video that I posted.I have already posted wheat flour halwa but always wanted to try this traditional method with samba godhumai.As I have experience stirring wheat halwa, I just tried with a small quantity today as its really tough to stir single handedly.But its worth the effort I can say, the halwa just melts in your mouth...hot wheat halwa with dripping ghee is a delighful sight to see...What more taste a spoonful its heaven I say :))
I saw a video recently which used caramelised sugar to achieve the natural brown color so wanted to try that and it worked really well,lookwise and tastewise it was soo good.
Tirunelveli Halwa Recipe - Ingredients
Preparation Time : 8 hrs | Cooking Time : 60 mins | Makes : 1 cup
Recipe Category: Snack | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Recipe Category: Snack | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Samba Gothumai - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup minus 2 tbsp
Cashewnut - 5 whole broken
Oil - 1 tbsp
For caramelising sugar:
Ghee - 1 tbspSugar - 1 tbsp
Method:
- Measure and take samba wheat add water till immersing level.Soak it overnight or atleast for 8hrs.Drain the water then add 1/2 cup water and transfer to mixer jar.
- Grind it smoothly,then transfer it to a strainer.
- Filter it,keep mixing and pressing it with a spoon to extract milk completely.Grind it again with 1/4 cup water to take second milk.Transfer the extracted milk to a bowl and keep it undisturbed for atleast 15mins.Now get ready with a heavy bottomed pan.
- You can see the clear water on top, drain little of it but not fully,Set aside.Heat a tbsp of ghee in the heavy bottomed pan.
- Add the extracted wheat milk and keep stirring to avoid lumps.In few mins it will reach porridge consistency(it will coat the laddle).
- At this stage add sugar,keep mixing it will again turn goey.Keep mixing.
- In another small kadai heat a tbsp `of` ghee,fry the broken cashews until golden brown,remove the cashews.Now in the same pan with remaining ghee...
- Add a tbsp of sugar,keep mixing it in low flame.First it will change to light brown then crystallise.
- Keep stirring to get a reddish golden brown color.
- Now add this caramelised sugar to the halwa,keep mixing.It will form small crystals but keep mixing.Don't panic like me ;) after few mins it will get dissolved.
- From now on get ready for some hand exercise ;) I measured 1/2 cup of melted ghee and kept but did not use fully. Add a tbsp of ghee in regular intervals,keep mixing.
- Add a tbsp of ghee and keep stirring without leaving.Do this in low flame itself.
- It will nicely bubble up then slowly it will start to form a mass.Add ghee in intervals and keep stirring.
- See how it rolls,at this stage it will stop absorbing ghee and will let out ghee at the sides as you can see.Now stop adding ghee.The whole mixture will dance like a jelly in the pan without sticking to the pan because of the ghee.
- At this stage add fried cashews and mix well.The halwa will be glossy and dark in color,it will roll like a ball.
- You can slide the pan and collect the excess ghee with a spoon if you want.Look at the ghee around the halwa.
My Notes:
- If the extracted milk is very thick it will get thicken faster and will leave raw smell.So water content should be there so I just drained little of the clear water not fully.
- Once the sugar is caramelized add it immediately, it may form thick crystals but keep stirring it will dissolve by itself.
- It is tough to stir single handedly for an hr so if you are making in bulk, take a helping hand so that you can stir alternatively.
- There is no consistency check just when ghee oozes out stop adding ghee and cook for few mins then switch off.
- For 1/4 cup of samba wheat it gave a good volume.
- Make sure to use a heavy bottomed pan or kadai.
- Use good quality pure ghee for best flavour.
- You can even use half and half oil and ghee but the flavour will differ.
- Do not cook after ghee oozes out, else halwa will become hard very chewy.
