Although various types of halva are often prepared in Indian homes, such as those made from chickpea flour, lentil flour, or wheat flour, there is also a version made from rice flour. If you want to try something new and very tasty, you can make rice flour halva, which cooks quite quickly and has an exquisite taste.
To prepare this delicacy, you will need: 1 cup of rice flour, 1 cup of sugar (to taste), 2–2½ cups of hot water, ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder, ½ cup of roasted mascarpone (khoya), and 2–3 tablespoons of chopped dried fruits, as well as 3–4 tablespoons of ghee.
First, heat the ghee in a pan. When the oil is well heated, pour in the rice flour and roast it over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5–7 minutes. The roasting should continue until the flour develops a pleasant aroma and a light golden color.
After that, add the sugar to the mixture and stir thoroughly. Then gradually pour in the hot water, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Next, mix in the roasted khoya and cardamom powder, and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Finally, add the chopped dried fruits and mix well.
The delicious rice flour halva is ready. It can be served hot, garnished with chopped dried fruits or a small amount of ghee, or eaten slightly cooled. Preparing halva requires following several rules: the rice flour should be roasted well to enhance flavor and aroma; always use hot water to achieve a smooth texture; the amount of sugar can be adjusted to your taste; to enhance the flavor, it is recommended to sprinkle ghee and dried fruits on top.
During festive seasons or simply when craving something sweet, there is a risk of health deterioration from consuming expensive and counterfeit sweets sold in stores. In such cases, it is recommended to prepare something pure and delicious at home so that everyone praises your treat. You can create a magnificent dessert using rice you have at home and a little mawa (goat cheese).
This recipe offers the creation of an incredibly soft and velvety burfi made from rice flour and mawa. Rice flour gives the dessert a unique, grainy base, while mawa adds a creamy and luxurious taste. Many mistakenly believe that sweets based on rice flour turn out dry or hard; however, by observing the correct ratio and using tricks, this burfi turns out so tender that it melts in the mouth like butter.
To prepare, you will need: 1 cup of rice flour, 1 cup of mawa/mawa (grated), 3/4 cup of sugar (or to taste), 4-5 tablespoons of pure ghee, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder, 2 tablespoons of chopped dried fruits (almonds, pistachios, and cashews), and silver foil leaves (optional, for decoration).
First, heat 3 tablespoons of ghee in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Then add 1 cup of rice flour and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Stir the flour constantly with a spatula for 5-7 minutes to eliminate any raw taste. It is important that the color of the rice flour does not change; it must remain white. After roasting, transfer the flour to a plate.
Next, add the grated mawa to the same saucepan. Sauté the mawa over low heat for 2-3 minutes until it becomes slightly soft and starts releasing oil. Add the roasted rice flour and half a cup of milk to the sautéed mawa, stirring thoroughly so that both components are evenly combined and no lumps remain.
Then, mix in the sugar and cardamom powder into this mixture. Since sugar melts, the mixture will initially become slightly liquid. It needs to be cooked over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mass thickens, starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, and forms a single mass.
Grease a burfi mold or a flat plate with a small amount of ghee. Pour the hot mixture into the mold and spread it evenly using a spoon or the back of a cup. Carefully arrange the chopped almonds and pistachios on top of the burfi, and if desired, place the silver foil, pressing it lightly. Leave the dessert at room temperature for 1-2 hours to fully set.
Once the burfi has hardened, cut it with a knife into desired square or rectangular pieces. This results in a soft rice-mawa burfi that melts in your mouth.
