Name: TN Tirunelveli halwa recipe by Pinky Srini at BetterButter
Prep time: 600 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 720 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: Samba wheat or normal whole wheat berries 1cup; Sugar 2cup + 1cup; Broken cashews 3tbsp(optional); Water 1litre; Ghee 1cup

ABOUT TN Tirunelveli halwa RECIPE

Tirunelveli halwa is shiny brown jelly like fudge . traditionally made with samba wheat variety. This halwa is do famous that it turned to be a dessert symbol of Tamil Nadu .it has even got its places in tamil songs. And thirunelveli is the district where its been originated and still made.one cant return from that place without tasting it. And still the place buzzes all day to have hot halwa with mixture served in bananaleaf. Locally Its called IRUTTU KADAI HALWA (DARK SHOP HALWA) . making at home requires lot of courage after all i attempted it with our home grown wheat which is not samba wheat was a night mare to me. Since i badly craved for it... collected lot of details,advice and reference from different places and made it was so so good. Do not alter the measurements since it works like baking . :)

Instructions

Soak wheat berries for overnight more than 7hours
Grind the wheat berries with water and extract the milk
U can add enough water to grind to extract thin milk by straining and grinding the fibre everytime
Until the clear water starts to appear instead of wheat milk. U can stop extracting then
Personally it took me 4times after that it starts like pale brown water instead of think milk look
In a narrow vessel put the extracted milk and leave it for 4hours
U can see there are two layers
One bottom white color like thick syrup
And other top layer like clear thin brown water
Make sure u don't grind it took thick otherwise it will be hard to form two layers separately
With each hour u can clearly see the white settlement and clear water separately
Once it is done throw top water and reserve the white milk
The top water is all the fermented and raw water make sure not to mix that with wheat milk
Now add the given amount of water to the milk,mix and keep aside
For the sugar part take 2cups in one broad heavy pan and the one cup sugar in another pan
Heat them u can see the sugar with one cup getting dissolved soon and starts changing color
Two cup sugar also does the same with little time lag because of more quantity
Once the one cup sugar reaches dark amber color ( take care not to burn it ) switch off stove and add it to the two cup sugar syrup
Mix well in medium flame and wait for half string consistency
Now slowly add the wheat milk and keep mixing it
May be thin at first once start cooking it changes like cooked corn syrup slurry (like Manchurian gravy) and changing in color like caramel
Now start adding ghee little by littleand keep on mixing without taking your hands at all point
There will be a point where the halwa starts to ooze ghee and getting stick to ladle
Just after that cook for few mins not too long or the structure may change
Put the fried cashews and mix
Transfer to a wide box and let it set
Serve with mixture (nankeen) and chai

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