Bombay Ice Halwa

Growing up in India, I’d always been fond of Indian desserts. I remember visiting the sweet shops in India with my Mom where the display case would hold rows of these incredibly colorful and beautiful looking sweets for us to choose from. From Barfi to Gulab Jamun and Rasgulla to Laddu, the choices were endless.

On special occasions like Diwali we would buy dozens of boxes of these sweets and distribute them to family and friends. I’d skip meals just so I could eat as many of those sweets as I could. There are plenty of Indian desserts I love but many of them have complicated recipes and require special expertise to prepare. In Vancouver, the choices are limited and I always look forward to my visits to India so I can stuff my face with all the sweets I’ve always loved!

One of my favorite Indian desserts is Bombay Ice Halwa. This is an iconic dessert from Mumbai that has become a favorite now throughout India. While there are several different varieties available in India, I decided to make the basic recipe that also happens to be the most famous in India.

This incredibly light halwa is flavored with rose water and is spread out till it is paper thin. It is then topped with saffron, cardamom, pistachios and almonds. The texture of this halwa is what makes it so special. It is dry and crispy on the outside and soft, chewy inside.

Bombay Ice Halwa is easy to make but to get the texture right takes some work. Even if you fail to achieve the same texture the first time, you’ll still end up with extremely delicious and delicate Bombay Ice Halwa. Here are some pointers that I think will help you succeed:

• Get all the prep work done before you begin making the halwa. Once the halwa is on the stove, you can’t leave it unattended.
• Making Bombay Ice Halwa will involve some serious arm workout because of the constant stirring, but the end result will make it worth all the effort.
• The key to making this worth is getting the consistency of the dough right. I’ll include more details in the recipe.
• Bombay Ice Halwa takes anywhere from 24-48 hours to dry properly. It needs a cool and dry environment to dry out so depending on the weather where you live, it may dry out faster or slower. Be patient and give it the time it needs.
• The measurements given here are crucial and cannot be adjusted. The halwa might be a bit too sweet for some people but without that much sugar it will never set properly and will not get the texture it is so famous for.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Corn Flour

1 cup White granulated Sugar

1 and 1/4th cup Full Fat Milk

1/4 cup and 1 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Rose Water

1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder

2 tbsp Slivered Almonds

2 tbsp Slivered Pistachios

A few strands of Saffron

1. Measure and keep the saffron, cardamom, pistachios and almonds aside.
2. Keep a large sheet of wax paper and cling film ready on the countertop.
3. In a heavy bottomed pan, mix corn flour, sugar, milk and 1/4 cup ghee.
4. Place on high heat and bring to a boil while stirring the mixture continuously.
5. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high and continue to cook. Stir continuously to avoid any lumps in the mixture.
6. Continue stirring and cooking until it comes together as a soft dough.
7. Remove from heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp ghee along with the rose water and mix.
8. Continue to cook and stir till the mixture forms a tight dough and moves away from the sides of the pan.
9. Remove from heat and immediately transfer it on the sheet of wax paper.
10. Cover with cling film and roll the dough evenly until it is paper thin. It may be a little difficult to roll it out but try to get it as thin as you possibly can.
11. Remove the cling film and sprinkle cardamom, saffron, almonds and pistachios evenly over the surface.
12. Cover with cling film again and gently roll the halwa sheet so that the toppings stick over the surface well.
13. Peel off the cling film and while the halwa is warm, use a sharp knife to slice it into even pieces.
14. Allow to dry at room temperature for 24-48 hours. Once the top side is completely dry, you can flip the pieces to dry out the other side.
15. Once completely dry, store it in an airtight container with pieces of wax paper between each halwa slice.