Halbai Recipe: How To Make Karnataka-style Halwa

Halbai is a traditional Karnataka-style sweet recipe that is mainly prepared during the festive seasons or other celebrations. The halbai is generally prepared with just rice as the main ingredient. However, in this recipe, we have mixed rice, ragi and wheat grains to give it a nice uniqueness.

The Karnataka-style halwa is prepared by cooking the ground ragi, wheat grains and rice along with jaggery, ghee and cardamom powder. This halwa has a nutty effect due to the ragi and wheat grains and is made soft by adding the rice and grated coconut as ingredients. This, along with the aroma of the cardamom powder and ghee, makes this sweet utterly delicious.

The halbai is a simple yet tedious process, as it requires a lot of your energy in stirring the mixture continuously till it becomes a halwa. However, it tastes beyond ecstasy and hence is worth your time and effort.

Here is a video recipe and a detailed step-by-step preparation method to prepare the halbai at home.

HALBAI VIDEO RECIPE

STEP BY STEP - HOW TO MAKE HALBAI

1. Add ragi to a bowl and add half a cup of water.

2. Soak the ragi overnight and drain the water once done.

3. Add rice in a cup and add quarter cup of water.

4. Soak it overnight and drain the excess water once done.

5. Add wheat grain in a bowl and add 1¼th cups of water.

6. Soak the wheat grain overnight and drain the excess water once done.

7. Add the soaked ragi, rice and wheat grain in a mixer jar.

8. Add 2 cups of water.

9. Grind it into a smooth consistency.

10. Take a large bowl with a strainer on top.

11. Pour the mixture into the strainer and strain it thoroughly.

12. Add the remaining mixture in the strainer to the mixer jar again.

13. Add a cup of water and grind it again.

14. Strain the mixture again.

15. Repeat the process of grinding again with half a cup of water.

16. Strain it thoroughly again.

17. Add grated coconut in another mixer jar.

18. Add a cup of water and grind it into a smooth consistency.

19. Pour it into the strainer and strain it into the same bowl.

20. Add the remaining coconut into the mixer jar and add half a cup of water.

21. Grind and strain the coconut again.

22. Grease a plate with ghee and keep it aside.

23. Add the strained mixture into a heated pan.

24. Add jaggery and allow it to dissolve.

25. Stir continuously, so that there are no lumps formed.

26. Allow it to cook for about 30-35 minutes on medium flame, until the mixture thickens and starts to leave the sides of the pan.

27. Once done, add 2 tablespoons of ghee and stir well.

28. Add cardamom powder and mix well.

29. Once done, transfer it onto the greased plate.

30. Flatten it slightly.

31. Allow it to cool down completely for about 35-40 minutes.

32. Grease the knife with ghee.

33. Cut it into vertical strips.

34. Then, cut them horizontally to get square pieces.

35. Carefully take out the pieces from the plate and serve.