Halwa Maskat

I made halwa maskat, a traditional recipe today. It has the influence of Arab and Indian. 

Halwa usually means sweet and indeed it is sweet unless you adjust the content of sugar to your preference.And like any other traditional food, you have to stir for a few hours. Tedious and tiring. 

Sakit pinggang isk.

However, it is worth it for I have been craving for it since Eid. No chance of buying it in the supermarket, I guess because not many demand. The new generation might not even heard of  it, let alone tasting it. 

 I have made halwa maskat many many years back. When I read the recipe again, I have completely forgotten, could not figure out which to take whether the water or the flour after keeping it overnight. I figure it out today and my halwa turn out nice but still sweet though I have reduced the sugar content. Guess I have to reduce more in the future. 

Here's the recipe, its an old recipe so its not that accurate. You have to adjust things a bit. And the measurement was in kati. 1 kati = 600 gm.

Halwa Maskat

300 gm flour

500 gm lump sugar (gula batu)

200 gm sugar

450 gm ghee

10 cardamom (buah pelaga) - take off the skin

10 almond- skinned cut into small bits and put into oven for 2 mins

saffron or yellow coloring

1. This is the tedious part- Mixed and knead flour like you are making breadwith 1500ml  of water. Knead bit by bit with water under a sieve so that the sticky part of the flour stayed on the sieve.Leave the mixture overnight/

2.Boil sugar and lump sugar with 1750ml water. Put in pandan leave and the cardamom or you can put the cardomom when you cook the halwa.

3.Separate the overnight flour from the clear water which float above it.Mixed the flour  with the sugar mixture. Put mixture in a large pan.

4.Stir and add in the almond, cardamom (if you didn't add in the sugar) and yellow coloring or saffron.

5. Add ghee bit by bit and keep stirring for about 2 hours or until the mixture didn't stick to the pan.

6. Pour into baking tray 9.5 x 10 inches and let it cool. Cut into squares and served.

There is another recipe which includes lime juice. I didn't use it. If you wish to, you may add in step 3.

Halwa Maskat

Important note: I just found out that you must not put  halwa maskat in the fridge. The oil will be frozen and the shiny color will fade. The taste will be different too.Therefore you have to keep it under room tempreature . It can last for a few days.