POPPY SEEDS HALWA

KHASKHAS KA HALWA

Poppy seeds add colour and crunch to baking foods and these seeds are used to decorate bread, cakes, rolls and cookies. Poppy seeds are also used for making a thick paste for vegetable and meat curries, and for some Indian food for seasoning or tadka. Poppy seeds are considered to be rich in minerals and it is a good source of carbohydrate which gives a lot of energy to the body.

This halwa is a very nutritious, rich and tasty traditional Indian sweet. Hindus on many festival days like shivratri, navratri, ekadashi etc, fast from grain, this is a popular dish for those fasting days, because this is a good source of energy for those days. When I was young we use to wait for these fasting days when will get the chance to eat the Halwa. My mother was making this halwa on Shivatri. This is my mother's recipe, in which I have added mava (Khoya) later.

Poppy seeds have a unique, nutty and aromatic flavour, and pleasant taste, and has a lot of health benefits like sesame seeds. It can be replaced for sesame seeds in cooking for making a paste in curries etc. Though sesame seeds smaller in size compared to poppy seeds, but both sesame seeds and poppy seeds are good and are used a lot in Indian cooking.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 200 grams poppy seeds
• 100 grams ghee (Purified butter)
•  200 grams sugar
• 200 grams mava (khoya)
• ¼ cup water
• 100 grams sliced almonds or pistachios
• ½ teaspoon Nutmeg powder

METHOD

• Wash carefully in a sieve and soak poppy seeds for 24 hours, make the paste in the blender with the same water used for soaking.
• On a medium flame heat the ghee in a thick bottomed sauce pan.
• Roast the paste of poppy seeds till they are golden brown when you will start roasting, soon the water will start evaporating and the batter will start joining together.
• When its colour is golden brown, add water then sugar and nutmeg powder, mix well and stir for 5 more minutes, till water evaporates.
• Add grated mava or khoya
• Decorate with nuts and serve.

This can be served to 4-5 people as a sweet dish after the meal.

I am sending this recipe as my blog post entry for Full plate Thursday, and for Cook blog share, and with Cooking and craft, and with Fiesta Friday and With Funtastic Friday, and with tickle my taste bud, and with Delicious dish Tuesday, and with City of Creative dreams,and with Meatless Monday and What'd do you do this weekend,and with Tasty Tuesday C kids and with Hearth and soul Hop.