Halwai wala Karachi Halwa / Bombay Halwa
Karachi Halwa Recipe – Learn how to make chewy Karachi Halwa / Bombay Halwa with me: 5 ingredients and 35 minutes time is all you need. This karachi halwa has the PERFECT STRACHABLE and CHEWY BITE & tastes MOUTH-MELTING.
Karachi Halwa – Bombay Halwa will forever be my first love when it comes to mithai (sweets). A rubber or jelly like halwa with the refreshing aromas of ghee and dry fruits.
Watch the Video tutorial of – How to Make Chewy Karachi Halwa (Bombay Halwa)
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All you need are a handful of ingredients and lots of stirring! Unwrapping a transparent plastic sheet of Karachi Halwa has always been a momentous joy for me. Although tightly bound, the aroma still permeated through the plastic cover.
What is Karachi Halwa / Bombay Halwa ?
Karachi Halwa / Bombay Halwa is a most preferred sweet when it comes to Diwali gifting, or any other major festival. It is convenient to pack, attractive to look at, and a delight to chew into with its mouth-melting texture.
This Karachi Halwa or Bombay Halwa easily stands out for its bright colours and its stretchable and chewy texture. It is made using ararot/arrowroot powder, which is mixed with sugar and water and stirred continuously to achieve the elastic consistency. Food colouring and desi ghee are added for elevating appearance and flavour, as well as dry fruits for some crunch.
These small square shaped Halwa available in different colors has earned a special place in our hearts due to its soft and chewy texture.
Where does Karachi Halwa come from?
As the name suggests, its origin points to the city of Karachi in Pakistan. Karachi halwa, also known as Bombay halwa was popularized by halwais moving from Karachi to Bomaby after the partition of India.
Memories of Karachi Halwa / Bombay Halwa
I used to love going into mithai (sweet) shops as a little nipper, especially around Diwali or janmashtami. Wide-eyed and full of wonder, the shop keepers would see me peering through their glass cases at the grand displays of endless mithais like penda, jalebi, Ice halwa, Karachi halwa, mohanthal, Topra pak, ghevar, gujal jamun and everything in between.
All these memories came flooding back when I decided to make a recipe video on Karachi Halwa/ Bombay Halwa. It was a special treat for that little nipper and it is a special treat even today.
My parents would always ask me what I’d like in my mithai box. I’d think long and hard about which ones would make the cut – it was a very important decision. The one that always stood out was the Karachi Halwa. It’s one of the only sweets that comes in so many colours. Rows of translucent colourful squares studded with nuts attracted me a lot. To this day, they still buy me my own box of mithais when I visited them.
I learnt much later that Karachi Halwa is really easy to make. The rubber or jelly-like texture is achieved by mixing ararot, water and sugar. Next, you slowly add ghee until it’s glossy and thick. And that’s pretty much it. So simple but make sure your arm muscles are ready. There are loads of stirring involved. You can make pretty much any flavour or colour you like. I love orange color with some pistachio and cashew.
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What are the main ingredients in Karachi Halwa Recipe?
The basic ingredients of this Karachi halwa Recipe are arrowroot powder, sugar, ghee, some roughly chopped nuts and water. Cardamom(optional), Food colour are secondary ingredients. Charmagaz (Dried Melon Seeds) is also a popular addition to this karachi halwa.
How to make Chewy Karachi Halwa: Step-by-step instructions
Time needed: 35-40 minutes.
Try this Karachi Halwa recipe with step-by-step photos and video. Learn how to make delicious halwa with easy instructions.
Whisk ararot powder, sugar with ghee and water
In a big kadahi, add water, half sugar, ghee and ararot powder and whisk together and ensure the mixture is not lumpy. Be sure to use normal water. Use a large, steel or non-stick, heavy-based kadahi/pan.
Heat the Mixture
Turn on the flame and stir continuously. Now add Citric acid to prevent the hardening of sugar. Stir continuously over a low heat until thick, glossy and pasty.
Add Remaining Sugar and Cook
Once the mixture become thick add remaining sugar and mix well.
Begin to add ghee
Add the ghee a ladleful at a time, stirring until fully combined between each addition. Stir the whole time. The halwa will bubble and thicken considerably. After about 30-35 minutes of cooking, it will form a ball that comes away from the sides of the pan.
Add food colour and Nuts of your choice
Once cooked perfectly add food colour of your choice and mix well. Throw in your favourite chopped cashew, pistachio and melon seeds and stir to combine.
Setting Karachi Halwa
Once done pour the mixture into the greased pan, flatten slightly and decorate with nuts of your choice and allow to set at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
Cut into Square Pieces
Once cooled completely cut into square pieces as big as you can fit in your mouth.
Wrap into Transparent sheets
Place a square piece of cling film on your palm and put the halwa on top. Wrap it tightly, as per the video tutorial.
If this video and blog of Karachi Halwa has got you craving for it, but you don’t really want to go outside in this covid situation, then you can try making it at home. Seriously if you will make this once, you will never buy it from market next time. It takes some skills, but if you follow my recipe step by step patiently, you are sure to perfect your hands at making same Halwai Style Karachi Halwa at home.
Difference between Corn Starch and Arrowroot Powder
Corn starch is a pure starch derived from the endosperm of the corn kernel.
Arrowroot is a root starch made from a West Indian plant in the Marantaceae family.
As both are different products. This Karachi Halwa Recipe needs Arrowroot Powder.
Karachi Halwa or Bombay Halwa is a mouth-melting and Nutty Treat for Sweet Lovers.
Where to buy Ararot powder / Arrowroot Powder?
You can source ararot powder very easily at any local kirana store or super market. It may also be labelled ‘TAPKIR NO LOT’. Note that it must be ararot / tapkir no lot and not corn flour as these are two different products. Ararot is also available to buy online, along with all the other ingredients you need to make this Karachi Halwa recipe.
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If you are looking for easy and Quick Desserts recipes, here are my top picks:
Till date, you must have eaten it many times after buying it from the halwai shop, but this time make it at home. You need only few ingredients and your armed muscles. And believe me once you try it, you will make it again and again.
Seriously you guys!! Make this Extremely Easy Karachi Halwa today and you and your family will absolutely love this incredibly chewy and mouth-melting Halwa.
Be sure to follow me on facebook, Instagram , youtube and if you’ve had a chance to make this Chewy Karachi Halwa then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!
Karachi Halwa Recipe - Learn how to make chewy Karachi Halwa / Bombay Halwa with me: 5 ingredients and 35 minutes time is all you need. This karachi halwa has the PERFECT STRACHABLE and CHEWY BITE & tastes MOUTH-MELTING.
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Place the ararot powder, water, half sugar, and half ghee in a large, heavy based
non-stick/steel kadahi and whisk until you have a smooth, flowing mixture.
Switch the heat on and add citric acid and stir again until the sugar dissolves.
Cook over a low heat, stirring all the time.
The mixture will begin to thicken and turn translucent in some parts.
Keep stirring and cooking.
After few minutes it will thicken into a glossy paste.
Once it reaches this stage, add remaining sugar and mix well and keep stirring.
It’ll look a bit like gloopy wallpaper paste. Once it reaches this stage, add a ladleful of the ghee into the mixture and stir well.
Continue to stir and cook, adding the ghee mixture in small increments every few minutes, until all of it is used up.
The mixture will begin to bubble up in places and thicken significantly.
It will turn from pasty, to jelly-like as you cook. The whole process will take about 30-35 minutes.
Towards the end of the cooking time, the halwa mixture will form an elastic, slow-moving goo-like consistency!
It should look shiny and translucent.
At this stage add food colour (I used orange colour) and mix well.
Once the halwa pulls away from the sides of the pan in a mass like this, it’s ready.
Watch my video tutorial to see all the stages and consistency you’re looking for.
Add the nuts of your choice stir to embed the nuts into the halwa.
Now quickly pour the halwa mixture into greased tray, flatten slightly and decorate with nuts of your choice.
Allow to cool completely at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
Once cooled completely cut into square pieces using sharp knife.
Now Place a small square piece of cling film on your palm and put the halwa on top. Wrap it tightly, as per the video tutorial.
Serve Karachi Halwa as a festive sweet or an after meal sweet.
This Karachi Halwa will keep well at room temperature for 1 week and in the fridge (wrapped) for 1 month.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the ararot powder, water, half sugar, and half ghee in a large, heavy based
non-stick/steel kadahi and whisk until you have a smooth, flowing mixture.
Switch the heat on and add citric acid and stir again until the sugar dissolves.
Cook over a low heat, stirring all the time.
The mixture will begin to thicken and turn translucent in some parts.
Keep stirring and cooking.
After few minutes it will thicken into a glossy paste.
Once it reaches this stage, add remaining sugar and mix well and keep stirring.
It’ll look a bit like gloopy wallpaper paste. Once it reaches this stage, add a ladleful of the ghee into the mixture and stir well.
Continue to stir and cook, adding the ghee mixture in small increments every few minutes, until all of it is used up.
The mixture will begin to bubble up in places and thicken significantly.
It will turn from pasty, to jelly-like as you cook. The whole process will take about 30-35 minutes.
Towards the end of the cooking time, the halwa mixture will form an elastic, slow-moving goo-like consistency!
It should look shiny and translucent.
At this stage add food colour (I used orange colour) and mix well.
Once the halwa pulls away from the sides of the pan in a mass like this, it’s ready.
Watch my video tutorial to see all the stages and consistency you’re looking for.
Add the nuts of your choice stir to embed the nuts into the halwa.
Now quickly pour the halwa mixture into greased tray, flatten slightly and decorate with nuts of your choice.
Allow to cool completely at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
Once cooled completely cut into square pieces using sharp knife.
Now Place a small square piece of cling film on your palm and put the halwa on top. Wrap it tightly, as per the video tutorial.
Serve Karachi Halwa as a festive sweet or an after meal sweet.
This Karachi Halwa will keep well at room temperature for 1 week and in the fridge (wrapped) for 1 month.
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