Bombay Karachi Halwa is a chewy and glossy halwa made with cornstarch. A simple halwa that is quick and easy to make and is a crowd-pleaser.
Halwa making can be very intimidating for many, and I was one of them. It took me quite a while to get over my fear and start making halwa. I have to thank my husband for motivating me to make this Bombay Karachi Halwa.
He loves this chewy corn flour halwa loaded with cashew nuts and that was when I first made this. After the success of this Bombay Halwa, I ventured into many different halwa recipes and had quite a success with them.
This Diwali, I have been updating a few of my old posts with better pictures and this is one recipe that I made. I also took a video of the recipe for easy understanding. Make sure to scroll down and check out the video to make this delicious and chewy Karachi Halwa.
Stove Top or Microwave?
Initially, when I first made this recipe, I used the microwave to make it entirely. It works for smaller quantities, but I feel the texture of the halwa is much more firmer and chewier when made on a stovetop.
It is a very quick recipe and it comes together fairly quickly. We just have to make sure that we are constantly stirring the halwa when making it to avoid sticking to the vessel.
Also, the end texture is fairly easy to recognize in this halwa as you will see the Bombay halwa turning really glossy and shiny when ready. Again, do check the video to see the texture.
Corn Flour Vs Corn Starch
This is a big confusion when making this Bombay Karachi Halwa. We need to use very smooth corn flour and it goes by different names in different parts of the world.
In India, it is called corn flour, but make sure you buy a really fine variety. The coarse variety will not work for this Karachi Halwa recipe. In the US, you have to shop for cornstarch. Corn flour is the coarser kind and the corn starch is the smoother variety.
Do not reduce the quantity of the ghee in the recipe as that is what makes the halwa glossy. The lemon juice gives the halwa a slightly tangy flavor and also helps in giving a great texture to it.
You could ass any nuts of your choice. I stuck to using just cashews as that is what my husband wanted.
Preparation time - 10 minutes Cooking time - 20 minutes Difficulty level - easy
Ingredients to make Bombay Halwa - Makes about 20 pieces
- Corn starch - ½ cup
- Sugar - 1 ½ cups
- Water - 2 ½ cups
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
- Food coloring - a pinch )optional)
- Cardamom powder - less than ½ tsp
- Ghee - 5 tablespoon plus a little to grease the plate
- Cashew nuts - 8-10 (broken into tiny pieces)
Procedure to make Corn Flour Halwa -
- Grease a 8-inch pan with ghee and keep it aside.
Chop the cashew nut into small pieces and keep aside. This recipe uses raw cashews but if you prefer roasted ones, go ahead and roast some and use in the halwa.
In a bowl, combine the corn starch, 1 ½ cups of water, and food coloring and whisk it well to dissolve completely. Make sure that there are no lumps in the mixture. Using a whisk really helps in mixing it together to form a lump-free batter.
In a pan, add the sugar and the remaining one cup of water and bring it to a boil. Once the syrup boils vigorously, add the lemon juice and mix. Let the syrup boil for a minute more to thicken slightly. There is no specific consistency that we need to watch for. Just boil until it is slightly thick and syrupy.
Now slowly pour the prepared cornstarch mixture and mix well. Make sure to keep mixing as it will start to thicken in the bottom right away.
Keep mixing and once the halwa thickens slightly, add a tablespoon of ghee and mix until the halwa absorbs it.
Now add the cashew nut and the cardamom powder and mix well.
At regular intervals, keep adding the ghee and cooking the Karachi Halwa, until it all comes together as a lump.
You will notice that by the time we use all the ghee, the halwa has become very glossy and it no longer takes in the ghee as readily as before.
This is the stage we need to pour the halwa into the prepared pan.
Once you pour the halwa, smooth the top and let it set for at least an hour.
- Once the Bombay Karachi Halwa has set, invert it onto a tray and cut it into desired size pieces.
Other Halwa Recipes
- Badam Halwa | Almond Halwa
- Chakka Varatti | Jackfruit Halwa | Jackfruit Preserve
- Apple Halwa - Indian Desert Made With Apples
- Aloo Ka Halwa | Potato Halwa - Uttar Pradesh Special
- Moong Dal Kachori And Atte Ka Sheera | Wheat Flour Halwa
- Asoka Halwa | Ashoka Halwa | Moong Dal And Whole Wheat Flour Halwa
- Gajar Ka Halwa | Carrot Halwa Recipe
- Cezerye | Turkish Carrot and Walnut Bars
Recipe
Equipment
- ▢ bowl
- ▢ pan
- ▢ Tray
- ▢ Stove
Ingredients
- ▢ ½ cup Corn starch
- ▢ 1 ½ cups Sugar
- ▢ 2 ½ cups Water
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- ▢ ⅛ teaspoon Food coloring -
- ▢ ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- ▢ 5 tablespoon Ghee plus a little to grease the plate
- ▢ 10 Cashew nuts broken into tiny pieces
Instructions
- Chop the cashew nut into small pieces and keep aside. This recipe uses raw cashews but if you prefer roasted ones, go ahead and roast some and use in the halwa.
- In a bowl, combine the corn starch, 1 ½ cups of water and food coloring and whisk it well to dissolve completely. Make sure that there are no lumps in the mixture. Using a whisk really helps in mixing it together to form a lump free batter.
- In a pan, add the sugar and the remaining one cup of water and bring it to boil. Once the syrup boil vigorously, add the lemon juice and mix. Let the syrup boil for a minute more to thicken slightly. There is no specific consistency that we need to watch for. Just boil until it is slightly thick and syrupy.
- Now slowly pour the prepared corn starch mixture and mix well. Make sure to keep mixing as it will start to thicken in the bottom right away.
- Keep mixing and once the halwa thickens slightly, add a tablespoon of ghee and mix until the halwa absorbs it.
- Now add the cashew nut and the cardamom powder and mix well.
- At regular interval, keep adding the ghee and cooking the Karachi Halwa, until it all comes together as a lump.
- You will notice that by the time we use all the ghee, the halwa has become vert glossy and it no longer takes in the ghee as readily as before.
- This is stage we need to pour the halwa in the prepared pan.
- Once you pour the halwa, smooth the top and let it set for at least an hour.
- Once the Bombay Karachi Halwa has set, invert it on to a tray and cut into desired size pieces.
Video
Nutrition
More Burfi and Halwa
- Coconut Almond Burfi
- 10 Burfis and Pedas To Make for Diwali
- 7 Cup Burfi | Seven Cup Cake
- Maida Burfi | Maida Cake Recipe
Bombay Karachi Halwa
Equipment
- bowl
- pan
- Tray
- Stove
Ingredients
- ½ cup Corn starch
- 1 ½ cups Sugar
- 2 ½ cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon Food coloring –
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- 5 tablespoon Ghee plus a little to grease the plate
- 10 Cashew nuts broken into tiny pieces
Instructions
- Chop the cashew nut into small pieces and keep aside. This recipe uses raw cashews but if you prefer roasted ones, go ahead and roast some and use in the halwa.
- In a bowl, combine the corn starch, 1 ½ cups of water and food coloring and whisk it well to dissolve completely. Make sure that there are no lumps in the mixture. Using a whisk really helps in mixing it together to form a lump free batter.
- In a pan, add the sugar and the remaining one cup of water and bring it to boil. Once the syrup boil vigorously, add the lemon juice and mix. Let the syrup boil for a minute more to thicken slightly. There is no specific consistency that we need to watch for. Just boil until it is slightly thick and syrupy.
- Now slowly pour the prepared corn starch mixture and mix well. Make sure to keep mixing as it will start to thicken in the bottom right away.
- Keep mixing and once the halwa thickens slightly, add a tablespoon of ghee and mix until the halwa absorbs it.
- Now add the cashew nut and the cardamom powder and mix well.
- At regular interval, keep adding the ghee and cooking the Karachi Halwa, until it all comes together as a lump.
- You will notice that by the time we use all the ghee, the halwa has become vert glossy and it no longer takes in the ghee as readily as before.
- This is stage we need to pour the halwa in the prepared pan.
- Once you pour the halwa, smooth the top and let it set for at least an hour.
- Once the Bombay Karachi Halwa has set, invert it on to a tray and cut into desired size pieces.
