The moment you step foot in a quintessential North Indian sweetmeat shop, you are bound to stumble upon some usual suspects. Gulab jamun, Kaju Katli and Rasgulla occupy a dedicated slot, then there are confectionaries that often look like a fusion of two sweets. They are often the most colourful of the lot, for which they invite much intrigue. Yes, the world may have just woken up to the concept of 'fusion food', our Halwai wallahs have been 'fusing' mithais since forever. One of the most iconic mithais which is essentially a cross between a halwa and a barfi is Sohan Halwa.
(Also Read: 11 Best Mithai Recipes | Popular Indian Dessert Recipes)
Indian desserts have a fan-following of its own
Sohan Halwa is an incredibly popular sweet in North India and Pakistan. There are many legends associated with it. It is said that the dessert has its roots in Persia. The word 'sohan' itself is of Persian origin and is taken from an almost identical brittle confection called sohan-e-qom (of Iranian cuisine). As the sweet travelled borders, it got adopted in numerous ways according to the local palate. Ghantewala, an iconic sweet shop of old Delhi established in the year 1790, used to sell a much softer version of the mithai. Ghantewala sweetshop may have had to pull its shutters in the year 2015 due to financial constraints, but its sohan halwa is etched in our hearts forever.
(Also Read: 8 Unique Desserts You Will Find Only In India)
Like Karachi Halwa, Sohan Halwa is also cut in different shapes and served
How To Make Halwai-Style Sohan Halwa | Halwai-Style Sohan Halwa Recipe
Coming to the ingredients of the dessert and what makes it so iconic. Sohan Halwa starts out as a usual halwa. In big vessel, water, milk, sugar and cornflour are and boiled until it obtains a semi-solid consistency. Oodles and oodles of ghee is added to the halwa that gives it its characteristic depth, richness and sheen. Then come in the nuts and cardamom. This halwa is shaped like circular discs and is sold in a much solid form as compared to other halwas.
You can also try making Sohan halwa at home. It is not very difficult, but it does require a good amount of patience. Which classic sweet doesn't, right? Here is an easy version of Sohan Halwa that you can try at home. Do let us know how you liked it in the comments below.