Here is an easy and delicious Bombay Karachi halwa recipe made with corn flour, sugar, ghee and crunchy nuts. In this post, you will learn how to make both soft jelly halwa and chewy corn flour halwa for Diwali with step-by-step photos and video!
Long back I had shared a version of easy Bombay Karachi halwa / corn flour halwa as a beginners sweet. It tastes soft and slides in mouth. But recently I came across this chewy Bombay Karachi Halwa also known as Jelly halwa using the same ingredients but slightly different in procedure. The basic difference between soft halwa and chewy halwa (rubbery halwa) lies in the cooking time. Usually we remove the halwa as soon as it starts to release the ghee.
For chewy halwa, we need to cook for more time even after it released the ghee. So this halwa takes some extra cooking time when compared with the easy corn flour halwa. Even though mine was not so rubbery, it was chewy and hard when compared with the soft version. However we make it, this is a no fail recipe. Tastes great and its a must have sweet for Diwali.
Any beginner can dare to try this recipe as it doesn’t need any sugar syrup consistency. Just mixing and continuous stirring is the only job here. Corn flour, sugar, cardamom powder and ghee are the major ingredients. To make this chewy Bombay halwa recipe, I watched some Sindhi halwa recipes and Classic masala hut video in Youtube for the ingredients and measurements. It came out really well as I wished.
Actually I have divided the halwa mixture into two parts and tried it to know the difference in taste between soft halwa and chewy halwa. So I have made orange colored halwa with soft texture and the yellow ones tastes slightly chewy. So this is a two in one recipe. You can try any based on your liking.
Its my long time dream to make Kerala Kozhikode halwa. After trying this recipe, I have got some ideas on how to make it. I hope I will try that soon. So now lets see how to make this most popular and delicious Bombay Karachi halwa recipe with step by step pictures and video! I clicked the cover picture by arranging different colored halwa after getting tempted by some halwa pictures in Google.
Do check out my version of soft n easy to cook corn flour halwa!
Quick Notes for US & Abroad Kitchens
- Corn Flour / Corn Starch: In the US and abroad, use standard corn starch (such as Argo brand found in all American grocery stores). In India, it is sold as corn flour, but both are the exact same fine maize starch.
- Ghee Quality: Good quality Indian cow ghee (like Amul or organic grass-fed ghee) gives the best traditional aroma. You can substitute up to 1/4 cup with neutral refined cooking oil if you prefer a lighter texture.
- Stovetop Heat Control: On electric coil or glass-top stoves, keep the burner strictly on medium heat. Corn starch slurry thickens very rapidly once heated, so stir continuously with a sturdy whisk or wooden spatula to avoid lumps.
- Setting Tray: Use an aluminium cake tin or glass Pyrex baking dish greased with ghee or lined with parchment paper. Aluminium holds warmth longer, allowing the halwa to set firm and glossy with clean slice edges.
Bombay Karachi Halwa Recipe – Corn Flour Halwa
Ingredients
For Corn Flour Slurry
- 1 cup Corn flour / Corn starch (approx. 120g / 4.2 oz) or maize starch
- 2 cups Water (approx. 480 ml / 16 fl oz) to dilute corn flour
For Sugar Syrup & Halwa Base
- 2 ½ cups Sugar (approx. 500g / 17.6 oz) regular granulated sugar
- 1 cup Water (approx. 240 ml / 8 fl oz) to melt sugar
- ½ tsp Lemon juice mixed with 1/2 tsp water to prevent crystallization
- ¾ cup Ghee (approx. 180 ml / 6 fl oz) or 1/2 cup ghee + 1/4 cup refined oil
- ½ tsp Cardamom powder for flavor
- ¼ cup Chopped nuts (cashews, badam, and melon seeds) a handful, dry roasted
- Food color Orange Red & Yellow (or as desired)
Instructions
- In a wide bowl, mix 1 cup of corn flour & 2 cups of water. Beat well to make it lumps free. It should resemble milk. Set aside.
- In a good non-stick kadai, dry roast chopped cashews, badam and whole melon seeds for 2 minutes. Remove in a plate. Keep it aside.
- In the same kadai, add 2.5 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water. Mix well in medium flame till sugar is melted completely. Add 1 tsp lemon juice and mix well.
- When the sugar syrup comes to boil, add diluted corn flour by mixing it well because all the corn flour would be settled in the bottom of bowl. So mix well before adding to sugar syrup.
- Keep the flame medium high and start mixing with a ladle. In 5 to 10 minutes, corn flour becomes a thick paste.
- Reduce the flame to medium and start adding 1 tbsp ghee. Add 1 tbsp ghee and mix well. After all the ghee is absorbed by the halwa, add 1 tbsp ghee again. As you cook, halwa becomes pale yellow in color.
- Halwa becomes glossy, leaves the pan completely and starts to rotate with the ladle. At this stage, add cardamom powder and roasted nuts. Continue stirring and add 1 tbsp ghee.
- At one stage, halwa starts to release ghee in the sides. If you want soft halwa, you can remove at this stage to a greased bowl or bowl lined with butter paper. I divided the halwa mixture into two parts to make both soft halwa and chewy halwa. I added orange food color to one. Mixed well and pour the mixture to the greased bowl. To serve as scoop of halwa in a bowl, you can serve it immediately before setting.
- To make pieces, allow the halwa to cool down for 2 hours and then cut into pieces using a sharp knife. I added yellow food color to another half of halwa mixture to make chewy halwa. For chewy halwa, you need to stir for another 20 to 30 minutes in medium to high flame till ghee comes out completely and halwa turns stretchy. The more time you cook, the more chewy and hard halwa would be.
- Actually I wanted to make both soft halwa and chewy halwa. So I divided the halwa mixture into two. Added yellow and orange food color to them. Mixed well and transferred orange colored halwa to the greased bowl and allowed to set it.
- I cooked the yellow halwa for another 20 minutes adding 2 tbsp more ghee. All the ghee oozed out in the corner and middle of halwa. Drop some halwa in a plate and try to stretch it. If it stretches, halwa is ready. Then transfer to a greased bowl and allow it to set for 3 to 4 hours till its cooled down completely. It would be better if you set the halwa in an aluminium tray or bowl that is used for cakes because aluminum helps to withstand heat for long time and halwa becomes hard and chewy. Invert the halwa bowl onto a plate after its cooled down completely. Cut into pieces and enjoy. This halwa can be stored for one week without refrigeration. But keep in an air tight box.
Video
Notes
- Do not reduce the quantity of sugar and ghee. If you want, you can add more cooking oil and less ghee.
- To make chewy halwa, you have to stir for long time till the halwa become stretchy.
- You can add food color in the corn flour water or sugar syrup too. But I wanted to add 2 colors. So I cooked it without adding color and added at the end.
- To make soft halwa, you have to remove it when it starts to release ghee in the sides of pan.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference is the cooking time! Soft halwa is taken off the heat as soon as the mixture turns glossy and begins releasing ghee in the sides. For chewy or rubbery Karachi halwa, continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes until ghee oozes out completely and the halwa turns stretchy.
Adding 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to the sugar syrup prevents the sugar from crystallizing as the halwa cools down, keeping your halwa glossy, smooth, and soft for days.
Corn starch settles quickly at the bottom of the bowl. Always stir the diluted corn flour slurry thoroughly just before pouring it into the boiling sugar syrup, and stir continuously on medium flame until smooth.
This halwa stays fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature when stored in a clean, airtight container. Do not refrigerate, as chilling makes the halwa stiff and dull.
Try this easy, yummy Bombay halwa for this Diwali and Enjoy!
Totally loved making it today. Wonderful recipe,
Thanks Chitra.
Thank you so much for the feedback :)