a simple dessert with water chestnut....kachhe singhade ka halwa..

 Water chestnut halwa sounds like an exotic dish for which you have toiled hard. It is for those occasions when you need to get some compliments and feel good. Or eat some soul food and feel good for that matter.

Singhade ka halwa , kachhe singhade ka halwa or a water chestnut pudding , call it by any name you wish but try making it once you get hold of some fresh water chestnuts. You would go looking out for fresh water chestnuts every season. I wanted to share this recipe once again for my readers before the season ends. I just had to. I had taken cute pictures this time :)

The exotic appeal of this dessert is not dimmed by the fact that it is darn simple once you have some peeled water chestnuts to begin with . Takes about 10 minutes for 2 servings and about 20 minutes if you are making it for a crowd of 10. This halwa needs to be served hot or warm , although you can always choose to make it ahead and reheat at the time of serving.




ingredient list is as frugal as it can get....


2 cups of water chestnut paste(no water used during processing)
2 tbsp ghee
2-3 tbsp sugar (i prefer less sugar)

procedure...

Pour the ghee in a kadai or deep pan and melt it over stove.

Add the water chestnut paste . It is better not to heat the ghee to much before pouring in the paste as it might cause splattering the paste due to hot ghee.
You can add the paste and ghee together too if using a nonstick pan , for a metal pan it is better to coat the surface with ghee first.


Place the pan over stove again and keep stirring while the paste starts thickening. You wouldn't mind stirring it continuously as it needs just a couple of minutes to get cooked. The aroma of the cooking paste starts getting deeper and nuttier. The color starts changing too.






You might continue cooking it (bhunoing) if you want a deeper color and thicker consistency like this halwa posted long back. Or stop cooking when a light pink beige color develops as seen in this picture. I like it both ways and make it according to the way i am feeling at the time. And most of the time I do not use any topping of nuts to serve as the rich flavors of this halwa is something I don't like to underplay.



You would know what I am talking if you try this. Poured in small cups or bowls and nothing else to bother about. Can a dessert get simpler that that ?

I took many pictures of this halwa as I made it in my leisure time . It is another story that I kept licking the warm halwa off the kadai all this while...

These cute little brass spoons were a gift from my sister in law , just perfect for a special dessert serving. This halwa is special for me because I invented this (  haven't come across this recipe even till now) when I was in college and my mom used to fuss with dried water chestnuts to make a halwa. The halwa made with water chestnut flour (singhade ka atta) is a nice recipe too but this one turned the table for any singhade ka halwa since then ...Did I tell you my mom used to make the flour (of dry water chestnuts) at home? Yes, even I used to do that till a few years ago when still doing navratri fasting. Not any more.

Kachhe singhade ka halwa has made things simpler on this regard. And fixing desserts simpler in the singhada season.... Know more about singhada here if you are intrigued about this fruit. Then go find the fruit/nut and cook a dessert...or a dessert meal.

Enjoy...