How to Make Halua: A Typical Sweet Snack
How to Make Halua: A Typical Sweet Snack
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Halua is a type of sweet dessert commonly found in several countries, especially in the Middle East and South Asia. In Indonesia, halua is better known as a processed product made from nuts, fruit, or even other ingredients that are processed into sweets. However, here we will discuss one of the famous halua variants, namely Halua (or Halwa) made from carrots or nuts. This halua is very popular because of its sweet taste, soft texture, and relatively easy way to make it.
Carrot Halua (Carrot Halwa)
Carrot halua is one of the famous halua variants in India and several other Asian countries. Its sweet taste and soft texture make this halua very popular.
Ingredients:
500 grams of carrots, finely grated
500 ml of liquid milk (can use full cream milk or regular liquid milk)
100 grams of granulated sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons butter or ghee (Indian butter)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder (optional, for aroma)
50 grams of chopped cashews or walnuts (optional, for texture and flavor)
Raisins (optional, for decoration and additional flavor)
How to Make: Kakek Merah
Prepare the Carrots:
Wash the carrots, then peel the skin. After that, grate the carrots with a coarse grater until smooth. If using a food processor, process the carrots until the texture is smooth.
Cooking the Carrots:
Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then add the butter or ghee. After the butter has melted, add the grated carrots to the pan and sauté briefly until the carrots begin to soften.
Adding Milk:
Pour the liquid milk into the pan containing the carrots, then stir well. Cook over low heat while continuing to stir so that the milk does not evaporate quickly and the carrots do not burn. Let the mixture cook until the carrots are completely soft and the milk has reduced, about 15-20 minutes.
Adding Sugar and Spices:
Once the milk has reduced and the carrots are soft enough, add granulated sugar to the pan. Stir well until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to thicken.
If you want to add flavor, add cardamom powder to the mixture and stir well.
Adding Nuts and Raisins:
If using cashews or walnuts, add the chopped nuts and raisins to the halua mixture and stir well. The nuts and raisins will give it a richer texture and a more delicious taste.
Finishing the Halua:
Continue cooking the halua for a few minutes until the mixture is completely thickened and has a pudding-like texture. Remember to stir regularly so that it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
Serving:
Remove the halua from the pan and let it cool slightly before serving. The carrot halua is ready to be enjoyed, either warm or cold.
Peanut Halwa
Peanut Halwa or sometimes called Peanut Halwa is a halua variant made from finely ground peanuts and mixed with other sweet ingredients, very suitable for peanut snack lovers. Here's how to make it.
Ingredients:
200 grams of roasted and peeled peanuts
200 grams of granulated sugar
100 ml of water
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp cardamom (optional, for aroma)
2 tbsp cornstarch water (for thickness)
How to Make:
Prepare the Peanuts:
Roast the peanuts first over low heat until they are slightly brown and the aroma of the peanuts comes out. After that, peel the outer skin of the peanuts.
Grinding the Peanuts:
Grind the roasted peanuts until smooth using a blender or food processor.
Making Sugar Syrup:
Boil the granulated sugar with water in a saucepan until boiling and the sugar is completely dissolved. After that, add the cardamom and vanilla (if used) to give a fragrant aroma.
Combining Peanuts and Sugar Syrup:
Add finely ground peanuts to the boiling sugar syrup. Stir until the peanuts are well mixed with the sugar.
Adding Cornstarch and Butter:
To get a chewier and denser texture, add cornstarch solution to the mixture. Stir until smooth and the mixture thickens.
Add butter to give a more savory taste and a softer texture.
Cooking Until Done:
Continue to cook this mixture over low heat while continuing to stir until the mixture becomes solid and can be compacted in the pan.
Serving:
Once the peanut halua is cooked and thickened, remove from the pan. Let it sit for a while so that it is more solid and easy to cut.
The peanut halua is ready to be served. Enjoy this sweet snack with a soft texture and rich peanut flavor.
Conclusion
Halua is one of the sweet snacks that has many variations in various parts of the world. Whether it is sweet, soft, and nutritious carrot halua, or savory and rich peanut halua, both are delicious and easy snack options to make at home. You can adjust the taste and texture of the halua to your liking, and experiment with additional ingredients such as nuts or raisins.
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