PEAR HALWA

    As sceptical as ever, my daughter lifted her brow when I handed her a bowl of Halwa. Though I didn't mention what it was, she was damn sure that it was experimental. It looked like Kasi Halwa(Poosanikai Halwa) she was trying to find what the base ingredient was. She said some fruit, maybe apple and I said, it was Pear Halwa. She is biased when it comes to experimental recipes like this though she loved the texture of the Halwa, especially the texture of crunchy nuts in it. My next victim was my husband, who ate it with no comment. Then asked for an extra serving, I knew it was good. Have made this Pear Halwa three times in a row, just with the idea of finishing a whole lot of Pear.

    Why Pear Halwa? When you end up with having a few Pears just bland, eating it as such was not working & I was wondering what I could make out of it. And there I went with my whims & fancies & tried to recreate a version of Halwa with Pears. I was totally convinced with the results, perfected the measurements in my second attempt & here you go with the recipe. Trust me you can surely give a try & it is not going to disappoint you at all. 

    I followed the same method as for Kasi Halwa(Poosanikkai Halwa). Pear Halwa is prepared with Pears, Sugar, Ghee and Cardamom Powder and garnished with an extra bit of slivered Almonds & Cashew nuts fried in ghee which gives a whole lot of crunchy texture in every bite. I have not added Milk in this recipe. You have no strict rules while making this Halwa. Pears with its unique taste & the roasted slivered Nuts add texture to this Pear Halwa. And above all, this is an easy recipe & can be incorporated within minutes. 

    Just one thing to remember - Use the grated Pears immediately.  Otherwise, it tends to get oxidized & the colour of the Halwa may turn dark. No need of squeezing out any extra water in it. Add the grated Pears into the Ghee and cook it on a low flame until it turns soft &tender. Let the mixture be dry before adding sugar & flavourings into it. And when it comes to Sugar, I have added 1/4 Cup of Sugar for 2 Cups of Pear. The Pear I used was not sweet. If you are using a sweet variety, I suggest you to adjust it accordingly.

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 Cuisine - Indian

 Recipe Type - Sweet

 Difficulty - Medium

 Serves - 2-3

 Author - SM  

 Preparation Time - 15 -20 Minutes.

 Cooking Time - 20-30 Minutes.

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HOW TO COOK PEAR HALWA 

PEAR HALWA

INGREDIENTS:

For Pear Halwa:

Ghee - 3-4 Tbspns

Cashew Nuts - 10 Nos.

Almonds - 10 Nos. 

Pear - 2 Cups

Sugar - 1/4 Cup

Cardamom - 2-3 Pods

Saffron - few Strands

Yellow Food Colouring - few Drops(Optional)

 Salt - a Pinch

METHOD:

Preparation:

• Grind Cardamoms along with few teaspoons of sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Soak Saffron strands in few teaspoons of warm water.
• Sliver the Nuts and keep them aside. 
• Wash, peel & cut the Pears into halves.
• Remove the Seeds.
• Grate the Pears using a grater.
• Use the grated Pears immediately. 

For Pear Halwa:

• Heat 3 Tbspn of Ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, roast the slivered, Almonds & Cashew Nuts.
• Add the grated Pears and cook on a medium-low flame for a few minutes.
• Cook the Pears until it turns soft & tender.
• Cook until the Pears turn dry and there is no water.
• Now add the sugar along with Saffron soaked Water, Cardamom Powder and give a quick stir.
• Add a few drops of yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame for about 5-7 Minutes.
• At this stage, Pear Halwa starts to bubble up.
• Now add a Tablespoon of Ghee and give a quick stir.
• Cook this on a low flame for another 5-7 Minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt and the remaining Ghee to the Halwa and mix well.
• When the Ghee starts to separate & the Pear Halwa begins to leave the sides of the pan, switch off the fire. 
• Serve Pear Halwa hot or at room temperature.
• Can keep it refrigerated.  
• Lasts up to a week when refrigerated. 
• The texture of the Halwa remains the same when refrigerated.

PEAR HALWA

NOTES:

• Grate the Pears evenly, which would facilitate even cooking.
• Once the Pears are grated, use it immediately.
• Otherwise, the Pears may tend to get oxidized.
• There is no need to squeeze the extra water out of the Pear.
• It helps the Pears to get cooked well.
• Saute the grated Pears and cook it along with the water until it turns soft, cooked and there is no more water content, before adding the sugar. 
• Some recipes call for adding Milk in the recipe.
• Can use 1/4 Cup of Milk and cook for an extra bit of time until the mixture turns dry before adding the sugar.
• Perfectly cooked Pears gives a perfect texture to the Halwa.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.
• I have flavoured the Halwa with Cardamom Powder.
• Adding a bit of extra Ghee will give a rich texture to the Pear Halwa.
• Adding Saffron is purely optional.
• Adding artificial food colouring is purely optional.
• I have added a few drops of yellow food colouring to the Pear Halwa. Can use orange/green food colouring too.
• Adding a pinch of salt to the Halwa is purely optional, but it helps to balance the overall taste of the dessert.

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