Almond Cashewnut Halwa

Almond Cashewnut Halwa is a rich comforting desert, enjoyed during the
winter. I used to buy it from local 'Halwai- shop'.The amount of ghee
they put in their halwa is bit too much though it leaves an amazing
taste in your mouth. So, I tried making it myself.

Serves 2- 3 people
Cooking time - 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Almonds (whole) - 3/4 cup
Cashewnuts - 1/4 cup
Milk - 3- 4 tbsp
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 cup (or more if you prefer a more sweeter dish)
Water - 1/4 cup
Almond essence - 1 drop
Saffron strands - a pinch or Cardamom powder


Method:

1. Boil some water and soak the almonds and cashews in hot water overnight.

2. Peel the skin off the almonds.

3. Grind the nuts into a smooth paste adding milk slowly. A thick but
smooth paste is needed.Set the paste aside.

4. The next step is to prepare sugar syrup.Melt the sugar with the 1/4
cup of water in a pan.

5. Add Almond essence and Saffron strands or Cardamom powder as per
your preference. Saffron gives a nice creamy golden colour to the
halwa.

6. Let the sugar syrup come to a rolling boil.No need to wait for one-
string consistency.

7. Add the ground paste and stir well to avoid any lumps.Keep the
mixture in medium- low flame all the time.

8. Keep stirring this mixture so that it gets cooked.

9. Add a few tbsp of the ghee at regular intervals. Make sure that the
mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

10. The mixture (and in fact the whole kitchen) should smell really of
saffron & ghee at this point.

11. The mixture will gradually thicken and attain a glossy- shiny appearance.

12. Take off Halwa from the pan and let it cool. The halwa will
thicken more on cooling.

13. You can serve the Halwa immediately and see a satisfied grin on
the face of your loved ones.

That means happiness guaranteed for you. You can also store it in the
refrigerator and Microwave the halwa when you are just about to
serve.You just cannot go wrong with this recipe. If the mixture seems
a bit runny , microwave or heat it up a bit more. If the mixture
becomes crumbly or grainy, add a little bit of milk and mix together
to get a nice halwa. It is that easy and literally melts in your
mouth.

" The best things in life are always dripping with ghee!!"