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.