Chef and author Sadaf Hussain tells us about four unusual Old Delhi halwas to warm us up this winter.
Delhi winters= daulat ki chaat, malpua, moong dal halwa, laal gajar ka halwa.
But these are the merely usual suspects. Have you even tried aloe vera halwa? Or that clove and nutmeg-spiked racy halwa with a racially charged name?
Habshi Halwa
Made with cloves, nutmeg, milk, khoya, and plenty of ghee, this very dark, very fudgy halwa gets its name from the Arabic word used to describe Abyssinians (now Ethiopians). Sadaf says that the halwa is also very popular in Lucknow and Rampur, as well as in Lahore and Karachi, where it is also called sohan halwa. “Not like Delhi’s sohan halwa, which is different and tastes like Maha Lacto hard candy,” he says. “This gets its flavour from its spices, and it tastes different at every shop because each halwai caramelises it differently.” Its warming qualities have also earned it the name palang tod halwa.
Get it at: Hanif Dairy, Shop No.1532, Gali Qasim Jan, opposite Hamdard Dawakhana, Lal Kuan, Chawri Bazar, Delhi 110006
Safed Gajar Halwa
“In contrast to the habshi halwa, this halwa must be kept white, so only white ingredients are used to prepare it,” says Sadaf. “White carrots are very fibrous, and not sweet – in fact, people sometimes confuse them with mooli. There is not much typical carrot flavour in them. So safed gajar ka halwa has lots of khoya for richness, and cashew for body.”
Get it at: Sheeren Bhawan, Bazar Chitli Qabar, Sheesh Mahal, Delhi 110006
Aloe Vera Halwa
Gowar (or aloe) halwa contains not only the gel but also the green leaves of the succulent plant. “It has a touch of bitterness from the aloe, which is offset with plenty of khoya,” says Sadaf. “It comes in squares, like a barfi. This is not a very sticky sweet. For a halwa, it’s almost flaky. For instance, when you eat it with a spoon, it crumbles a little.”
Get it at: Sheeren Bhawan, Bazar Chitli Qabar, Sheesh Mahal, Delhi 110006
Gond Halwa
“This is made with the same resin used for gond laddoos,” says Sadaf. “The resin is cooked in ghee and mawa, and it sticks to your teeth.” Gond halwa is all about its addictive tacky texture, it is made with edible gum after all.
Get it at: Kallan Sweets, Gate No. 1, Shop No. 4 & 5, Matia Mahal Road, opposite Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid, Old Delhi, Delhi, 110006
Sadaf (@sadaf_hussain) conducts food walks through Old Delhi. Participants get to taste varieties of halwa (and much more) while listening to the stories behind the food they’re sampling. Watch this space to find out about the next one.