Pineapple Halwa
Pineapple Halwa is melt in the mouth pudding like indian dessert made with semolina, saffron & pineapple.Takes 30 minutes to make.
Equipment
- Cooking Pot, Kadhai/Wide Pan
- Small Sauce pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar, see notes
- 1.25 cup water
- 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (small squares)
- 10 saffron strands
- 2 tablespoon warm milk
- 7 tablespoon melted ghee, divided
- ½ cup semolina, see notes
- 2 tablespoon raw whole cashews
- 2 tablespoon raw pistachios plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Add the sugar and water to a medium pot and set on the stove to boil.There is no need to stir.Just when all the sugar has melted, no need to cook it further, add the pineapple to hot syrup. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then switch off the stove. Dont thicken the syrup. Let the syrup sit.
- In the meantime, add the saffron strands to a mortar, add a pinch of sugar and grind to a fine powder. Add warm milk and mix. Let stand to infuse.
- Set a heavy kadhai/wide pan on low medium stove, add 1 tablespoon of ghee and saute the nuts for a few minutes stirring continously. Brown the nuts a little taking care that they dont burn. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add 1-2 tablespoon of ghee to the kadhai and add the semolina. On low medium stove, toast the semolina in ghee for 5-6 minutes until the grains appear to be swelled but do not change color. Keep stirring continously using a cooking spoon and dont let the color of semolina change but it should be nicely toasted.
- Once toasted, reduce the flame to low. Grab a spatula in one hand and add the sugar syrup along with pinapple to the semolina with other. There will be a bit of splutter so be careful. Gently start mixing the semolina with the syrup. It will swell and the halwa will start to thicken in no time. This happens very quickly and spatula or a flat wooden spoon is the right tool to stir with. Dont let any lump form and keep stirring continously. The halwa might feel a bit sticky but its okay.
- Once all the syrup is absorbed, add the remaining ghee to the kadhai and keep mixing and stirring to combine well. Slowly ghee will be absorbed (about 2-3 minutes) in the halwa and you will see its no more sticky rather shiny and grainy.
- Add the browned nuts and saffron mix to the halwa and again mix well. Cook for about 2 minutes and then switch off the stove. It will thicken a bit as it sits.
- Serve garnished with more nuts and few saffron threads. Best served warm.
Notes
- Sugar can go up to ¾ cup if your pineapple is not very sweet.
- I recommend using fine semolina for a melt in the mouth texture.
- You can add some khoy/mawa at the end for a rich pineapple halwa.
- Add some toasted desiccated coconut to the halwa for a pina colada feel.
- Mix ¼ cup coconut milk to the sugar syrup for coconut flavor.Add coconut milk once the syrup has stopped cooking. Adjust the quantity of water accordingly.
- Mix in fresh pineapple juice to the sugar syrup to enhance pineapple flavor even more.
- You can use mango chunks + pineapple as well.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!