Mango Halwa is a lovely homecooked, sweet and smooth pudding that is simple and heroes this seasonal fruit in all its glory. It is quite addictive and made with rava/suji (semolina), ghee, sugar, milk, nuts, flavorings and of course mangoes.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Desserts
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup suji ((fine textured rava or semolina))
  • 1 mango (medium to large, (alphonso or any other variety), chopped and pureed or ½ cup mango puree)
  • ½ cup sugar (or as required)
  • 2 tablespoons ghee (or oil)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons nuts (- chopped, cashews, charoli (chironji) as required)
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 1 pinch saffron
  • 3 to 4 green cardamoms (or ½ teaspoon cardamom powder)
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate arils (- for garnish)

Method

  1. Powder the cardamom pods in a mortar pestle and discard the husks.
  2. Heat ghee or oil in a thick bottomed pan or kadai. Keep heat to medium-low or medium.
  3. Add the sooji or rava and roast often until they change color and you get a lovely aroma.
  4. Add the nuts, raisins and continue to roast for a few minutes.
  5. Heat 1.5 cups of water separately in a pan on the stovetop.
  6. Add this hot water gently to the rava and nuts mixture. Stir and mix very well.
  7. Add milk and sugar. Continue to stir and mix. Milk can be at room temperature or hot.
  8. The semolina granules absorbs both water and milk and will swell.
  9. You have to stir continuously so that the mixture does not stick at the bottom of the pan.
  10. After 1 or 2 minutes, add the mango pulp.
  11. Stir and mix again well and ensure that the mango pulp is mixed thoroughly.
  12. Add cardamom powder and saffron.
  13. Continue to stir until the liquids and moisture reduce.
  14. Cover with a lid and cook mango halwa for 1 or 2 minutes more until you see that all the liquids have been absorbed and the halwa looks slightly glossy or shiny with the ghee releasing from it.
  15. Garnish Mango Malwa with extra cashews or pomergranate arils.
  16. Serve the the Mango halwa hot, warm or even cold.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.