So glad...

cherylsnell — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:35:59 -0600

you enjoyed it, Kalyn! Thanks for taking the time to tell me so.

Cheryl Snell
http://www.shivasarms.blogspot.com/

Very interesting!

Kalyn Denny — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 22:29:34 -0600

Great post. I learned about some of the amazing sounding Diwali sweets last year when I wrote a post called Happy Diwali to Everyone. I have seen a few recipes for Halwa made with carrots and thought it sounded wonderful. Very fun hearing all the variations on how the word is used too.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Diwali Desserts

cherylsnell — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:27:45 -0600

Desserts are a part of the Diwali celebration. A favorite at our house is halwa. It is all things to all people, this dessert--a pudding or a fudge. In some recipes, it's based on semolina, like the southern version called Kesari, and has a texture like gelatin. Other versions use carrots or mung beans.Tirunelveli halwa is in a class by itself, with its red color and unusual aroma.

Halwa is not just for eating. Apparently, you can taunt someone with it as well.In Tamil Nadu, if you ask someone "Are you trying to give me halwa?" you are asking if he's trying to outsmart you. In Mumbai, the word is used to imply simple. "Halva hai kya?" means "Is it that simple?" In the north, halwa means a mish-mash. "Halwa bana diya" means "you made a Halwa out of it".

Let's just eat the thing, shall we?
Heat 1/2 cup unsalted butter at medium heat. Add 1 cup cream of wheat. The mixture should turn a pink gold color. Add 2 cups water. Stir quickly --no lumps! Add 1 cup sugar, raisins and cashews.

Yum.

Cheryl Snell blogs about all things Indian at www.shivasarms.blogspot.com

BlogHer - Diwali Desserts - Comments

So glad...

Very interesting!

Diwali Desserts