Corn flour halwa recipe, also popularly known as Bombay Karachi halwa, is one of the easiest melt-in-mouth Indian sweets you can make with minimal ingredients. With its glossy texture, vibrant color and rich crunch of nuts, this beginner-friendly halwa comes together in under 20 minutes with very little ghee!
Corn flour halwa is one of the easiest halwa recipes. I have tried corn flour halwa with milk as suggested by Shalini. But I haven’t tried Mumbai Karachi halwa style before this. For this Diwali, I thought of sharing some interesting halwa recipes and started with this easy halwa. (If you prefer a chewy texture with more ghee, do check out my chewy Bombay Karachi halwa recipe as well!)
Actually I referred Vahchef’s video recipe, but I felt the quantity of ghee was more. So I browsed a few more recipes and finally got the recipe from Uma’s Kitchen Experiments. I was very happy with the result.
In this post, I have shared the stove top method. Very soon I will try to share a microwave version. Friends, if you are looking for an easy halwa recipe with less ghee, you must try this corn flour halwa for Diwali. Try and share your feedback here. Ok, let’s check how to make this easy Diwali sweets recipe – Corn flour halwa!
Quick Notes for US & Abroad Kitchens
- Cornstarch vs. Corn Flour: In the US and abroad, corn flour is labeled as white cornstarch (Argo, Clabber Girl, Kingsford or store brands like 365 and Trader Joe’s). Avoid yellow maize flour (makki ka atta), which is grainy and won’t work for this halwa.
- Electric Stovetop Heat Control: If cooking on an electric coil or glass cooktop, maintain steady medium-low heat. Electric burners hold strong residual heat, so keep stirring continuously with a heatproof silicone spatula or flat wooden spoon to prevent lumps from catching at the bottom.
- Cookware: Use a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan, enameled cast iron or hard-anodized kadai. This ensures even heat distribution and allows the halwa to glide smoothly off the sides once the ghee is added.
- Food Color & Flavorings: US liquid or gel food colors (such as AmeriColor or Wilton) are quite concentrated. Just one or two drops are plenty to achieve the vibrant classic Karachi halwa orange or red shade. Freshly ground green cardamom powder from Indian grocery stores gives the best traditional aroma.
Corn Flour Halwa Recipe (Easy Bombay Karachi Halwa)
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- ½ cup Corn flour / Cornstarch (approx. 60 g / 2 oz, white cornstarch)
- 1 ½ cups Sugar (approx. 300 g / 10.5 oz)
- 2 ½ cups Water (1 1/2 cups for slurry + 1 cup for sugar syrup / approx. 600 ml)
- 3 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter, approx. 45 ml / 1.5 fl oz)
- ¼ cup Cashews and melon seeds (finely chopped, approx. 35 g)
- ½ tsp Cardamom powder (freshly ground)
- 2 pinches Red food color (or orange food color)
Instructions
- Mix 1/2 cup of corn flour, 1.5 cups of water and 2 pinches food color without any lumps. Chop the nuts into small pieces. Keep a plate ready greased with few drops of ghee.
- Mix 1.5 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water. Heat it and melt the sugar. Boil well. No need to check any consistency. When the sugar syrup starts to roll boil,add the diluted corn flour mixture.
- Keep the flame low and mix it well. Halwa with start to thicken here & there. Keep stirring to avoid lumps. As soon as it starts to thicken & changes dark in color, add 1/2 tbsp of ghee at regular intervals, say 2-3 minutes. Halwa will absorb the ghee and becomes thick. After adding 2 tbsp of ghee, Halwa will become transparent, glossy & thick. When it starts to leave the sides of kadai, add the finely chopped nuts, cardamom powder. ( Cook this halwa only in low flame else corn flour may not cook well and leaves a raw smell)
- Mix well till all the nuts and cardamom powder incorporates well with the halwa. Add 1 tbsp of ghee and mix well. At one stage, halwa will start to leave traces of ghee in the sides of kadai. No problem even if the halwa is sticky. Switch off the flame immediately and transfer it to a greased plate. Level the surface with a greased ladle. When the halwa turns warm, it will become non sticky. Over cooking makes the halwa chewy. So take care. Undercooking makes the halwa smells raw and sticks to the tongue.
- If you want to serve hot halwa, scoop it in a bowl. If not, let the halwa cool down for 2 hours. Then cut into pieces with a sharp knife. DO NOT refrigerate this halwa because refrigeration turns it harder. So use it within a day. Enjoy !
Notes
- You can use custard powder instead of corn flour.
- Do the entire process in low to medium low flame else halwa may have raw corn flour smell.
- Please do not reduce the quantity of sugar, water or ghee. It will change the texture of halwa. It will become sticky.
- The ratio of corn flour, sugar & water is 1:3:5
- DO NOT refrigerate this halwa because refrigeration turns it harder. So use it within a day.
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Enjoy this yummy, colorful corn flour halwa for Diwali!
For more traditional festive ideas, check out my complete collection of South Indian Diwali Sweets and Snacks Recipes.
Thank you for this recipe.I have been wanting to make this for a long time.You have a great blog.:)
Thank you :) Give a try n share ur feedback :)
very nice texture.. Glossy and colorful halwa
Chance ella Chitra…halwa with perfect texture, looks scrumptious :-)
Thank you friends :)
Omg this looks awesome .wow great clicks chitra.
And you add the cardamon powder when???
It should be added along with the nuts. Updated this point now. Thanks.