Navratri Halwa Recipes: Classic Halwas for Durga Puja and Festive Days

Classic Halwas for Navratri and Durga Puja

Need some ideas on what dessert to prepare on which day of Durga Puja or Navratri? We’ve got you fam with this easy selection of classic festive halwas that you can make for this season. It's the season of celebrations, after all, so the calorie counting can wait, and let the indulgence of the ghee-rich goodness consume you over this festival of good triumphing over evil.

Also Read: Special Navratri Dessert Ideas

Sooji Halwa

Ingredients:

• 75 gm sooji (semolina)
• 100 gm sugar
• 90 gm ghee
• 120 ml milk
• 240 ml water
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp slivered almonds for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add sugar, milk, and water into a thick-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves
2. Set aside
3. Take a heavy-bottomed nonstick pan and dry roast sooji on low heat for a couple of minutes
4. Roast until the sooji smells nutty and turns lightly golden
5. Add ghee and increase to medium-low heat
6. Cook sooji until light brown, stirring continuously
7. Add cardamom powder to the sooji
8. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and carefully pour in the boiled milk-water-sugar mixture
9. Increase heat to medium-low and stir continuously, ensuring nothing sticks to the bottom
10. The halwa will start to come together, and the mixture will begin to bubble and splash
11. Continue stirring until the halwa reaches a dropping consistency
12. Remove from heat
13. As it cools, the texture will become grainy
14. Garnish with slivered almonds, cashews, and raisins before serving

Gajar Ka Halwa

Instructions:

• 10 large carrots
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 240 ml full cream milk
• 150 ml sweetened condensed milk
• 8 cardamom pods powdered
• 10 cashews, chopped
• 10 almonds, chopped
• 2 tsp pistachios, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Wash red carrots; preferably, otherwise normal carrots will do too, then peel their skin
2. Then grate them using a steel grater with the mesh that produces long threads
3. Transfer the grated carrots to the kadai
4. Add the ghee and sauté for three minutes
5. This helps the carrots to cook quickly and also prevents quick disintegration after cooking
6. The carrots should be just tender but still offer a slightly grated texture
7. Add milk and mix well to help cook the carrots and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
8. Simmer for five minutes, or so, until the milk evaporates completely
9. The mixture should be moist but not runny before the addition of the condensed milk
10. The carrots will be cooked well at this point
11. Then add the condensed milk and mix well
12. Do a taste test later and add sugar if it's not sweet enough
13. Bring to a boil again and stir occasionally, so the carrots cook completely and don't stick to the bottom or get burnt
14. The halwa should cook for another 5-7 minutes or till it is thick and non-sticky
15. Keep mixing and stirring to mash until the excess moisture evaporates completely
16. This means that the mixture needs to be of a thick consistency without any liquid
17. Add cardamom powder, cashews, and almonds when it reaches a wet and thick consistency
18. Give a good mix and turn off the heat
19. Serve the gajar ka halwa garnished with chopped pistachios

Moong Dal Halwa

Ingredients:

• 200 gm moong dal (split yellow lentils)
• Water, for soaking
• 120 ml ghee
• 1 tbsp semolina
• 475 ml milk
• 200 gm sugar
• 5 cashews, chopped
• 5 almonds, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions:

1. Rinse the moong dal well until the water runs clear instead of cloudy, and soak for two hours
2. After two hours, drain off the water and transfer to a blender
3. Blend to a coarse paste, adding water if required
4. Keep aside
5. In a large kadai, heat the ghee and add the semolina, rava, or sooji and roast on a low flame until the semolina releases an aroma
6. The rava will give a good texture to the halwa
7. Keep the flame low and roast until the fragrance develops without burning it
8. Now add the blended semi-coarse moong dal and mix well
9. Keeping the flame on medium, cook, stirring frequently, until the moong dal absorbs the ghee
10. Continue to cook, breaking the lumps
11. Then cook the dal slowly and patiently while stirring until it reaches a grainy consistency and the ghee comes out
12. Cook until the mixture crumbles with a nice grainy look and feel
13. After 20 minutes, the mixture will be somewhat dry
14. When that happens, pour in the milk and add the saffron
15. You can also use water or a milk-water combination for a less rich halwa
16. Add the milk in small quantities at a time and stir until it is fully incorporated
17. Stir continuously until the mixture absorbs all the milk
18. Keep cooking until the halwa holds shape and leaves the sides of the kadai
19. Now add sugar, mix well, and let it dissolve into the halwa
20. Continue to cook on a low flame, breaking any lumps that might form
21. Cook until the halwa and ghee separate and turn golden brown
22. This takes approximately 1 hour
23. Now add the nuts and cardamom powder, mixing well to combine, and remove from heat
24. Enjoy moong dal halwa garnished with more nuts

Tips for Making Festive Halwa

• Roast the sooji or moong dal on low to medium heat. Do not roast it on a high flame.
• Add hot milk or water while you mix the mixture. This keeps the mixture from lumping together and makes it fluffy.
• Stir the mix constantly and make sure to break any lumps with the back of your spoon.

You know your halwa is done when it becomes thick, set, and starts to leave the sides of the pan. It may also begin to separate into balls of ghee.

Which Halwa Is Suitable for Navratri Fasting?

Vrat-friendly halwa recipes can be made with kuttu (buckwheat), singhara (water chestnut), rajgira (amaranth), or any other item allowed in your vrat. Recipes using wheat flour, sooji, or other grains are not vrat-friendly.

Since different families follow different vrat rules, it's important to consult with your family/household about which items are allowed.