Karachi Halwa, also called Bombay Karachi Halwa, is a delicious treat enjoyed throughout the Indian subcontinent. This sweet is made with corn flour, ghee, sugar, nuts, and cardamom.
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Debjani's Note
This year, I made Karachi Halwa, for Kalipuja (also known as Choti Diwali in Northern India). I first encountered Karachi Halwa while in Delhi, and my initial taste was at the renowned Chaina Ram in Chandni Chowk. Although I don't recall the exact year, I've enjoyed it many times since. I've even made it myself whenever I needed a quick sweet for a party, or simply to satisfy my sweet tooth. I adore the name "Bombay Karachi Halwa" - a dessert that effortlessly connects two neighbors who aren't always on the best terms.
My office, despite not being very Indian (okay, this post was written in 2015), gave us a single day off for Diwali, specifically in Kolkata. We celebrate Kalipuja the day before, so I ended up working from home. My evening was a whirlwind of making Rangoli and celebrating Kalipuja, leaving me only about 45 minutes for Diwali cooking. Afterward, I took pictures and updated Debjanir Rannaghar with my Diwali sweets. I chose to make Bombay Karachi Halwa because it's a super easy dessert that still looks fantastic.
Are Karachi Halwa and Bombay Halwa the same?
I was curious about the story behind Karachi Halwa's unusual name, also sometimes called Bombay Halwa, but the details are scarce. Karachi is a region in Sindh, Pakistan, while Mumbai, previously known as Bombay, is a major city in India. Perhaps Karachi Halwa began with the Sindhi people. When some Sindhis relocated to India, this delightful sweet might have gained popularity in Mumbai, hence the name, although this is just a theory.
History of Karachi Halwa
Today, Karachi Halwa is especially popular in northern India. Delhi, for example, is known for its delicious Karachi Halwa. As Shakespeare wisely said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose; By any other name would smell as sweet."
Over time, I did uncover some key details. Karachi Halwa, or Bombay Halwa, actually comes from the Sindh region of present-day Pakistan, predating the Partition of 1947. It's thought to have Persian influences, much like Turkish Lokum. After the Partition, Sindhi confectioners carried the recipe to Bombay (now Mumbai), where shops like Chandu Halwai Karachiwala helped make it famous, leading to the name Bombay Halwa.
Karachi Halwa is made with simple ingredients like corn flour, sugar, ghee, and nuts.
Halwa itself journeyed to India from Persia and the Arabic world. Some believe the unique, chewy texture of Karachi Halwa might have been inspired by Turkish Delight (Lokum).
This sweet treat was first created in Sindh, a region now in Pakistan with a rich Persian history. The Sindhi people brought it to India.
Following the 1947 Partition of India, many Sindhi families moved from Karachi and other areas of Sindh to Bombay. These migrants, along with other Sindhi and Gujarati sweet makers, shared their beloved "Karachi Halwa" with more people in Bombay. As it became more and more popular, it started being called "Bombay halwa," even though "Karachi halwa" is thought of as the original name.
Step-by-step recipe
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Roughly cut cashew nuts and toast them lightly in a pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Set them aside.
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Grind green cardamom seeds into a powder.
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Lightly grease a baking tray or plate with ghee for setting the Halwa.
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Put corn flour in a bowl, add 2 cups of water, and mix well.
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Add 2 drops of food coloring to the corn flour mixture and mix with a spoon.
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Put sugar and ½ cup of water in a deep, non-stick pan. Cook over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
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Add lemon juice to the sugar syrup to stop the sugar from forming crystals. Cook the sugar mixture until it becomes a little thicker.
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Mix the corn flour mixture again with a spoon to prevent lumps. Reduce the heat and add the corn flour mix to the sugar syrup in two parts.
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It may take 2-3 minutes on low to medium heat for the Karachi Halwa to thicken and become glossy.
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Now add 1 Tbsp. Ghee and mix and then pour in the rest of the melted ghee and keep stirring.
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Then, add cardamom powder and the fried cashews, mixing well.
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Put the mixture into a pan that has been oiled and let it sit for an hour to harden properly.
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Turn the pan over to get the candy-like dessert out onto a plate.
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Cut it into the shapes you want and eat it as is, or after it has been chilled.
Recipe Tips
Making Bombay Karachi Halwa is surprisingly simple. You can create transparent, toffee-shaped treats in just about 20 minutes, yielding around 30 pieces. This halwa is usually served in individual portions.
Traditionally, this halwa uses a lot of ghee, but I try to use less when I make it at home to cut down on the calories. I do the same with sugar as well.
I prefer my Karachi Halwa with a touch less sweetness than usual. This time, I decided to make two vibrant versions: orange and green.
While orange is the most popular color for Karachi Halwa, I've always loved the look of a bright green one, so I made that too! To keep things simple, I'm sharing the recipe using just one color. If you want to create a two-toned Halwa like mine, just divide the ingredients in half and prepare each color separately. I used AmeriColor gel food coloring - a mix of red and lemon yellow gave me the perfect orange shade.
Recipe Card
Karachi Halwa | Bombay Halwa | Corn Flour Halwa
Ingredients
- 150 g Corn Flour 1 Cup
- 100 g Sugar ⅔ Cup
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 20 Cashew Nuts
- 5 Green Cardamom
- 3 drops Food Colour 2-3 colors, I have used AmeriColour's Gel-based color
- 3 tablespoon Ghee
- 2.5 cup Water
Instructions
- First, roughly chop the cashew nuts.
- Then, toast them lightly in a pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, and set them aside. Grind the green cardamom seeds into a powder.
- Grease a baking tray or plate with a little ghee, preparing it for the Halwa. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the corn flour in 2 cups of water, mixing well.
- Add 2 drops of food coloring to the corn flour mixture and stir until evenly colored.
- In a non-stick, deep-bottomed pan, combine the sugar with ½ cup of water.
- Cook over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add lemon juice to the sugar syrup to prevent crystallization. Continue to cook the sugar mixture until it thickens slightly.
- Briefly stir the corn flour mixture again to prevent any lumps from forming.
- Lower the heat and begin adding the corn flour mixture to the sugar syrup in two parts, stirring after each addition to prevent lumps.
- Continue stirring constantly until the Halwa thickens, about 2-3 minutes over low-medium heat. It should become glossy and thick.
- Now, add 1 Tbsp. Ghee and mix it.
- Next, add the remaining ghee while stirring constantly.
- Once combined, sprinkle in the cardamom powder and roasted cashew nuts, mixing well to distribute them evenly throughout the halwa.
- Pour the mixture into a greased tray and let it sit for an hour to set properly.
- Once set, flip the tray onto a serving plate to release the halwa, which should have a delightful toffee-like texture.
- Cut the halwa into your desired shapes and enjoy! You can serve it at room temperature or chilled from the refrigerator.
Notes
- Gel food colors are more expensive than powdered ones, but you can use either or even skip the food coloring altogether.
- Feel free to add other dry fruits besides cashew nuts if you like.
- And if you prefer a richer halwa, you can always add more ghee.
Nutrition
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- Malai Kofta
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Have you tried the Karachi Halwa or Bombay Halwa recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Please inform me of your experience, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Here's the Karachi Halwa recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
anindya sundar basu says
Mam please send one home for us too. Madhushree loves this and more than me. I am sure pasta is loving this considering the colourful sweets
DEBJANI CHATTERJEE says
It indeed will be my pleasure to make some for you 🙂 and yes you are right; Pasta loves it 🙂
Ramila Patel says
Hello,
when we buy from shop its chewy and transparent, mine was soft and not transparent.