Godhumai Halwa / Wheat Halwa

Wheat Halwa / Godhumai Halwa is very famous throughout India. People of different parts of India have their own version of Wheat Halwa. But in Tamil Nadu preparation of Godhumai Halwa means, making the Halwa using the milk extracted from the wheat berries.

I have seen in many marriages and functions in Chettinad, the cooks soak the wheat berries and grind it using the Aattukal. Extract milk from it and prepare the Halwa. The cooks always insist for Samba Godhumai variety, a variety of wheat, which has a rough texture and is not much used to make the chapathi flour. But Samba Godhumai has a peculiar and a nutty taste and so is very well suited for Halwas. 

And I have seen the cooks working hard to prepare it.  From that day I have been always scared to make it, thinking that it is a huge process and needs a lot of help.  But then I love to eat when it is served in the functions and wait for it. And now its my Sons turn. 

Somedays back I saw a very easy version of this in Sharmis Passion. She had used wheat flour to extract the milk and this made the process much simpler. So thought of giving it a try.

This month Priya had chosen Sharmis Passion for the Tried and Tasted Event. So I wanted to make use of this opportunity to thank Sharmi for the easy recipe.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee - 2 1/2 cups
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 t.sp
Food Colour - 1 pinch
Fried Nuts - 1/8 cup

Method

1. Knead the wheat flour to a soft dough using some water.
2. Now place the dough in a container and cover it with about 2 to 3 cups of water.
3. Let it rest for the night.
4. Next day, completely dissolve the dough in the water using your hands till there are no more lumps left.
5. Drain this liquid using a strainer. Discard the gluten, after straining the milk.
6. Leave the milk to rest in the container for about 1/2 hr to 1 hr.
7. The thick milk will settle down and a layer of water will be seen up.
8. Try to discard this layer of water slowly without disturbing the settled milk.
9. Now in a non-stick pan heat the sugar with about 1/4 cup of water.
10. Let the sugar form the single string consistency.
11. Once the right consistency is reached add the thick wheat milk and keep stirring.
12. Slowly it will start getting thicker.
13. In the meanwhile slightly warm up the ghee in a different vessel and keep it ready.
14. Once you have reached the porridge consistency start adding the ghee about 2 to 3 tb.sp at a time and keep stirring.
15. Add the colour and keep mixing.
16. Keep on stirring and adding the ghee slowly. Everytime you add the ghee and stir it will be absorbed, then again add ghee and stir.
17. At a point of time the whole mass will start moving together.
18. At this time add in the Cardamom Powder and roasted nuts and keep stirring.
19. Keep stirring and adding ghee.
20. Slowly it will start oozing out the ghee.
21. At this stage you can stop adding the ghee. But keep stirring. Stir till it has reached the Halwa consistency and its raw smell or raw taste :) has gone/vanished. When you are able to make a ball, that means the Halwa consistency has reached.
22. Transfer it in another vessel, serve hot or cold.
23. You can also pour it into a tray and cut into pieces.
24. In the whole process do not stop stirring. When the final stage is nearing it becomes hard to stir, but do not leave keep stirring.
25. And there the excellent Godhumai Halwa is ready in a easy way.

Sending this to my announcement post of the Tried and Tasted Event in Kitchen Chronicles and to Priyas Versatile Recipe who is hosting the Tried and Tasted Event this month.

And this delicious Halwa is also going to
Kids Delight - Dessert event hosted by Veg Nation. The event was started by Srivalli of At Spice your life.
Foodabulous Fest hosted by Preeti's Kitchen Life.
Hot Beverages and Desert within 45 minutes hosted by Just Cooking N Baking
Manasi of A Cook @ Heart is holding a event called "I Must Make That" and she also has a giveaway. And after seeing her announcement I realized that the CupoNationIndia is catching up faster. And so sending this entry to her.
and to the Sweet Luv - CJ#4 hosted by Cooks Joy

Vellai Paniyaram

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2013.

Thought of starting this year with a very traditional Chettinad dish, for which I had lot of requests.  It is the very famous Vellai Paniyaram, without which a function is never complete in Chettinad.  People of all age like it very much and goes best with Vara Milagai Chutney or Kara Chutney. It is a fluffy pillow like savory which is usually served in chettinad houses and functions as evening snacks or as one of the dishes in the morning breakfast.

Vellai Paniyaram has very few ingredients and takes very less time of preparation. The only time taken is the time for the soaking of the Rice and Dal i.e. about 1 to 2 hrs. Thats it, once the batter is ready then it gets done very fast. There is not much recipe variation for this traditional dish.

Ingredients

Raw Rice - 1 Cup
Parboiled Rice - 1/4 cup
Udad Dal (Ulundham Paruppu) - 1/4 cup
Salt - as required
Sugar - 1 t.sp
Milk - about 1/4 cup
Oil - for frying

Method

1. Wash and soak the mixture of rice and dal.  
2. Grind it in a grinder or in a mixer to a fine batter.  
3. Add the sugar, salt and mix. 
4. Check the consistency of the batter it should be little more watery than the dosa batter. To get the right consistency add milk as required and mix.
5. Take a deep and round bottomed kadai. 
6. Add only enough oil so that the paniyaram can just rise up and is able to float.
7. Heat the kadai on a small burner.
8. Once the oil is medium hot turn the burner to the low mode.
9. Beat the batter with a ladle or a whisk.
10. Now with a round ladle pour the batter in  the oil.
11. The Paniyaram will get cooked , rise on its own and float.
12. At this point turn it, let it cook for one more minute and remove.
13. Make it one by one at a time.
14. Serve it hot with chutney.

Points to remember

• Use only rice which we use for cooking and not the rice which is used for making batter. Like, do not use idli rice since it is a batter rice and used for cooking. Raw rice also the same thing applies.
• Do not add too much oil to the kadai.
• Do not over heat the oil.
• And always keep the flame on low through out the cooking process. Once in a while if the temperature of the oil goes down very much then you can rise it. Otherwise keep it on low always.
• Do not touch it in the oil before it starts floating on its own. 
• After it starts floating you pour little, little oil on the top so that it helps in the cooking process.
• After turning do not cook for long.
• Your batter is of right consistency if the paniyaram is cooked fully. If it does not get cooked in the centre then your batter is thick, add more milk.
• If you are not getting the shape of the Paniyaram and it is becoming round like a bonda then it means that the Udad dal content is more.
• If the Paniyaram becomes rubbery after it becomes cold then the udad dal had been very less.
• Adding the parboiled rice helps the paniyaram to remain soft even after becoming cold.

This recipe of adding Parboiled rice was given to me by my SL.
You can find recipes of
Another version of  Vellai Paniyaram here.
Red Chutney / Tomato Chutney