Thursday 29 April 2021

Bombay Halwa with Almonds and Pistachios

What is Halwa?

Halwa is a sweet dense confectionery that is very popular in South East Asia, India and Middle East. There are many types of halva such as Greek Halwa, Semolina Halwa, Pumpkin Halwa. The combination of ingredients, textures and flavours are numerous . 


What can Halwa be made of?

  • Semolina
  • Couscous
  • Quinoa
  • Corn flour
  • Wheat Flour
  • Vegetables
  • Fruits

Can you make Vegan Halwa?

Yes you can veganise the halwa by cooking it in coconut oil, sunflower spread , vegetable margarine,or any vegan spread.

Can you make Gluten Free Halwa?

Yes you can by making the halwa with fruits or vegetables and also grain such as Quinoa and where you need to add milk you can use any plant based milk

Is it possible to make a sugar free Halwa?

Some Halwas you can add coconut sugar, Jaggery or dates to sweeten them.

What temperature do you serve the Halwa?

Some halwas that are set are normally served at  oom temperature, others that are not set can be served hot or chilled.

I am making Bombay halwa in this recipe which is a set halwa made with corn flour. It is also known often as Karachi Halwa  and it is a dense halwa with a jelly like texture which needs to be kept refrigerated  to store. You can give this halwa any flavour such as rose, orange or pistachio. I have added saffron to this one as it imparts  a lovely flavour and goes well with the almonds and pistachio.

Bombay Halwa with Almonds and Pistachioshttps://youtu.be/tFPrelm9Xr8Bombay Halwa , an Indian sweet fudge with almonds and pistachiohttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLtphgAHDpnMW6E5_ZDSU1tnGYXqU93RJ0-snCJ_p7xClVxG3p9mLO-SzQE10gsAiZ3rNeOrEfm7eSWLiUSPkLF8f_KXYKPFBaRvMeW84B2mJmTyhhlTGKzm5lfFfzbkfeLu2YUhAJu8S/s1280/Bombay+Halwa.png2121-03-29
Yield: 36 small pieces
Author: Nayna Kanabar
Bombay Halwa with Almonds and Pistachios

Bombay Halwa with Almonds and Pistachios

Bombay Halwa with an added touch of almonds and pistachios makes it a really delectable sweet that would be perfect to serve for any occasion. Delicately flavoured with saffron and cardamom, it is a quick and easy sweet to make and enjoy.
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 5 HourTotal time: 5 H & 35 M

Ingredients

  • 25g Almonds 
  • 1 cup hot water to soak almonds 
  • 150g Corn Flour 
  • 500 ml water 
  • 250g Sugar 
  • 250ml Water 
  • Pinch saffron 
  • 1/2 Tsp lemon juice 
  • 1.5 Tsps Cardamom Powder 
  • Few drops yellow food colouring 
  • 4 Tbsps Ghee (Clarified Butter) plus 1/2 Tbsp for greasing pan
  • 2 Tbsps Coarsely chopped Pistachio Nuts

Instructions

  1. In a bowl add the almonds and cover with hot water and leave to one side to soak for 10 minutes.
  2. After 10 mins peel the almonds and remove the skin.
  3. Pat dry the almonds and halve them, leave to one side on kitchen paper to dry further.
  4. In another bowl sift the corn flour and add 500ml water and mix together to make a slurry. Keepit to one side.
  5. To make the sugar syrup add 250 ml water to apan, add 250g sugar, lemon juice and saffron and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until mixture starts to become slightly sticky.
  6. Reduce the heat to low and start adding the corn flour slurry in a thin trickle to the sugar syrup, stirring constantly while adding it.
  7. Add 2-3 drops of food colour and 1 tbsp ghee and keep stirring  continuously. the mixture will start to thicken.
  8. Add another 1 tbsp ghee and keep stirring.
  9. The mixture will start to get shiny and thicken more, at this stage add 2 more tbsps ghee and still keep stirring. 
  10. The halwa will now start to leave the sides of the pan, add half the flaked almonds, half the chopped pistachios and 1.5 tsp cardamom powder. Mix well and remove the pan from the heat.
  11. Grease atray will some ghee and spread the halwa in the tray, smooth it out using a spatula.
  12. Garnish with remaining almond flakes and chopped pistachios. Press the nuts down slightly into the halwa with the help of the spatula.
  13. Leave the halwa to set for 4-5 hours and then cut into small square pieces.

Notes:

You can add any colour of food colouring of choice.

Calories

61.64

Fat (grams)

2.18

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.96

Carbs (grams)

10.49

Fiber (grams)

0.46

Net carbs

10.03

Sugar (grams)

7.03

Protein (grams)

0.55

Sodium (milligrams)

7.05

Cholesterol (grams)

3.64

The nutritional information provided is an approximation calculated by an online calculator. Please consult a professional dietitian for nutritional advice.

Similar Recipes

Did you make this recipe?
Tag @simplyf00d on instagram and hashtag it #cookwithsimplyf00d
Created using The Recipes Generator



Have you ever tried Halwa? What is your favorite Indian  ? Do share in the comments below. I love all types Indian Confectionary, especially Semolina halwa and these Milk Peda

To Pin


You can watch the video of this recipe below:

Tuesday 6 April 2021

The Instagram Bag Review



I love food photography and have a huge obsession for collecting props such as plates, spoons, bowls, brass and pewter ware as well as terracotta homeware. For food styling, it is important to have different props to show off the foods you have prepared, this also includes making use of accessories napkins, pretty spoons, cutlery and backdrops. I make and paint all my own wooden boards for my food photography and food videos. However the wooden boards are heavy and not really portable, so I was looking for a solution of purchasing some portable backdrops that would be easy to store and stansport. Something that I could use for instagram flat lays too. My search led me to The Instagram Bag from Paper Bag Co.

What is The Instagram Bag?

The Instagram Bag is a special bag for those who have both a love of food and a passion for photography. The bag is a complete solution for a portable photography Kit.


What’s included in the bag?

The Stylish 12oz black canvas bag with internal pocket, mesh divider and zip closure. Together with tube of backdrops, reflectors, postcards it comes with, there is room plenty of room to hold extra items such as a camera, mini tripod, a notebook and pencil. The perfect on the go photography bag.


8 Postcard Set 

The handy postcards have lots of useful tips for photography.  Here is a rough synopsis of what's on the cards, which are really informative and packed with lots of handful hints and tips ofr capturing the perfect food photo.

  • Card 1 Frame and Grid- This gives you info about photo composition.
  • Card 2 Find good light- Great tips about lighting.
  • Card 3 Manipulate your light- This shows use f reflectors.
  • Card 4 Find the angle- Think about the best angle to photograph your dish.
  • Card 5 Odd numbers work- It is recommended that arrangements for food photography are set in odd numbers.
  • Card 6 The rule of thirds-Always position your subject for photography using the rule of thirds.
  • Card 7 In the background- Using a range of backgrounds to compliment the dish to enhance the photo layout.
  • Card 8 Edit your images better- Great tips about final editing of photos.


One set of Reflectors

I really liked the compactness of the reflectors which fold down into the zipped bag.



4 Photographic Backdrops 

The four backdrops included are really beautiful, in my kit there is a rust black metal, teal finish, marble and a stone finish. Each backdrop is unique and perfect for styling my food photos.
I have taken some photos using these amazing backdrops to show how beautiful they are and how they enhance the photograph.


The Green fenugreek really stood out on the rustic stone backdrop. I love how natural the back drop looked like stone, although it was paper.


The teal backdrop was perfect for styling and photographing the fresh garlic bulbs.


The fresh bunch of the radish with the green leaves looked great photographed on the marble backdrop. I loved the backdrop as it had a nice matt finish for photographing and did not cause reflections.


My most favorite backdrop is the rust tin finish. It was great to photograph the strawberries on it. They looked so amazing on the backdrop.


The photography backdrops included in the Instagram Bag are from Black Velvet, there is an enormous range of backdrops, so many to choose from their website. The Instagram Bag retails at £39.95 which includes postage and packing, You can purchase it from the paperbag co


#gifted -I was gifted the Instagram Bag, all the views and opinions expressed are my own.
Related Posts with Thumbnails