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
If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | twitter
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.
Amy Liu Dong says
An easy and simple yet delicious dessert. I can't wait to make this for everyone!
Jamie says
It looks cute and fun to eat! Love its shape! I would love to try this later!
Ramesh Sachdeva says
What temperature it should be cooked. Medium or high?
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I would stir them in medium heat.
Padma says
Hi Sandhya,
Thanks for the detailed recipe and perfect measurements. It came out really well. Is there anything I can do to make it more chewy ? Or will it be chewy after a while? Just made an hour ago.
Padma
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Padma, you can cook it a little longer next time for more chewy, but it does not have the really chewy texture like the store bought one.
Chitra Dinesh says
Tried this halwa. Came out well. Perfect measurements !!!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks a lot Chitra for trying the recipe. I am so happy it worked well 🙂
Rajani says
The halwa looks so glossy and delicious. It’s been in my to do list for long, your post is reminding me to try it. The video is quite good too!
Harini Rupanagudi says
Superb looking halwa. The amount of sugar in this halwa is the deterrent for me. But I would love to pop in a couple for sure. 🙂
Usha says
Halwa has come out perfect, with a nice glossy finish. Beautiful color and great one to have on the festival menu.
Srivalli Jetti says
The halwa looks awesome and so nicely done Sandhya, would love to make this sometime..
Amara says
My daughters favourite halwa. I was wondering why my halwa texture is different when I made it in US vs now in India. Thanks for the tip on corn flour vs corn starch. I need to look for a finer corn flour.
Srividhya Gopalakrishnan says
This halwa has become my recent favorite. I made this during Diwali and we all enjoyed. I added rose syrup for the flavor thought. Love the video and detailed pictures.
Swathi says
Halwa looks delicious. It has been a while I made halwa I need to give it a try.
Suma Gandlur says
Very perfect looking halwa with that beautiful glossy texture. This is one of my favorite halwas too but have been postponing to try this like forever. 🙂
Byron Thomas says
I've never tried halwa, but I think I would like it quite a bit. I love just about anything that has been flavoured with cardamom and cashews are my snack of choice!
Pavani says
I never thought Karachi halwa can be made at home 🙂 I thought it was magically made by the halwai 😉
That definitely is a delicious and easy enough recipe to try at home. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Danielle says
I have finally found this recipe! I remember enjoying this halwa when I was travelling and I thought it would be great to make something similar at home. So glad I've stumbled upon your recipe!
Yukti Arora says
Wow so classy and mouth watering halwa recipe i loved it and please keep posting such tempting halwa recipe because i am Learner of making new and different halwa.