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Banana Halwa |
In southern part of India different variety of plantins are cultivated. Smaller ones can be as small as 2-3 inches and largest one can be as big as 12 inches also. The color also varies from golden yellow to purple. It was amazing to see so many varieties of banana. The most common one is golsed yellow ripe banana of whoch medium size will vary between 5-6 inches.
Kerela
is famous for the variety of bananas savories and desserts. Banana chips and
Banana halwa are my favorite. My daughter-in-law who abhors eating ripe banana,
loves it only in two forms “banana Cake and Banana Halwa”. Thus I end up
getting delicious banana halwa made by her. In fact I learned how to make this
great Kerela (Indian) dessert from her. Traditionally it is made in coconut oil
but being a North Indian and raised on Mustard oil and Ghee taste I prefer
making this halwa in Ghee. Even my daughter-in-law makes it in Ghee, thus the
overpowering flavor of coconut oil is eliminated and the dark brown pieces of
this dessert is finished before we say let us keep it in fridge for tomorrow.
Vegan banana halwa can be made by replacing Milk by Soy milk and Ghee by coconut oil/Olive oil.
Preparation
Time: 20 minutes
Cooking
Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 1.5 Kg Halwa (Approximately)
Nutritional Value (Approx.) of 1.5 kgHalwa
Energy:
1500 Cal
Total
fat: 16.3gm.
Carbs:
290gm.
Cholesterol:
0
Sodium:
11 mg.
Calcium:
100 mg.
Magnesium:
200mg
Phosphorous:
75mg.
Iron
15mg.
Dietary
fibers: 35 gm.
Sugar:
150 gm.
Protein:
13 gm.
Potassium:
5 gm.
Apart
from this it has vitamin A, Vitamin C and B but cooking does destroy some of
the vitamin contents.
The calorific value and fat content can be reduced by using Olive oil instead of ghee.
Ingredients Required For Making
Banana-Halwa:
- 12 Medium Size Ripe bananas (2 kg approximately) Even over ripe will do.
- 100
gm. Organic jaggery (cane/palm)/To taste
- 50
gm. Ghee (clarified butter)
- 10
Green Cardamoms
- 100
ml. Milk (Full fat/skimmed)
- 20-25
Cashews
- 20-25
Almonds
Direction For Making Banana Halwa:
- Cut
10 almonds 10 cashews finely and keep aside for later use.
- Soak
10-15 almonds and peel them once soaked nicely. Slit them to two equal halves.
Keep aside for later use.
- Slit
the rest of the cashews to half. Keep aside for later use.
- Peel
and mash bananas to soft, uniform, gooey mass. The banana mash will weigh roughly 1.250Kg.
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Mashed Banans |
- In
a big bowl take jaggery, Add 100 ml milk and whisk the mixture to dissolve the
jaggery and get a thick liquid of jaggery and milk.
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Jagger and Milk Mixture |
- Peel
the cardamoms and crush the seeds to coarse powder.
- In
a thick bottom wok (I take anodized/non-stick) take 50 gm. Ghee and add the
powder of green cardamom. Heat it on medium flame. Cardamom will heat along
with the ghee thus most of the flavor of cardamom will come in ghee.
- Add
paste of ripe bananas. Cook on medium flame with constant stirring and scraping
from the bottom and sides. After 20-25 minutes the paste will become semi-solid
and will leave the bottom and edges of wok.
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Banana Mash in Ghee and Cardamom |
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Just before Jaggery is to be added |
- Add
jaggery mixture and mix nicely. Cook on medium flame, with constant stirring,
till the mixture becomes dark and leaves the edges of wok. It will take
approximately 10-15 min.
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Jaggery added to cooked Banana Paste |
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Just before nuts to be added |
- Add
finely cut cashew and almonds to the banana and jaggery mixture and mix.
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Nuts added to Halwa |
- Mix nicel and cook for five minutes to bring it to corret consisitency.
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Banana halwa ready for shaping. |
- Cool
till they come to room temperature before storing them in airtight container.
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Banana Halwa |
- This
halwa can be stored up to one month also in fridge. In my house it finishes
before I say let us store itJ.
Tips:
- Halwa
before cooling and making balls can be put on a plate and flattened on the
plate with spatula. Cover with a cling film and allow it to cool. Then this
flattened, cooled halwa can be cut to required shape and size after cooling.
- Always
taste bananas for sweetness and adjust the amount of jaggery accordingly.
- Taste
the halwa before it comes to final stage and if required add jaggery at this
stage and cook. Once the halwa is ready more jaggery/sugar cannot be added.
- If
you have over ripe bananas then the best way to use them is to make halwa.
- Over
ripe bananas will require 70-75 gm of jaggery only.
Suggested Variations:
- Olive
oil is a good replacement to coconut oil or ghee. The halwa becomes more nutritive
and less fatty.
- 1/2Teaspoon
of cinnamon powder can be added to oil along with the cardamom powder, it lifts
the banana halwa to just another level.
- Jaggery
can be replaced with organic brown sugar, but I always prefer palm sugar as it
is very nutritive and imparts lovely
color and flavor to the halwa.
- Vegan Banana halwa can be made using water/soy milk instead of milk and ghee can be replaced by Olive oil.