Atta Halwa (Wheat Halwa)
Dec 24, 2019, Updated Nov 06, 2020
Simple atta halwa made with whole wheat flour, ghee and sugar. This quintessential Indian dessert was a favorite growing up!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Atta halwa is one dessert which I grew up eating as my mom made it very often in her kitchen.
It’s a simple dessert made with atta (whole wheat flour), sugar and ghee. You only need these 3 basic ingredients to make atte ka halwa.
Atta halwa has been one of my favorite halwa ever since I can remember.
I would always specifically request my mom to make atte ka halwa for me. Back then, I didn’t care much for sooji halwa, which is another popular halwa made in Indian households frequently.
What is Atta Halwa
It’s a pudding made with whole wheat flour.
This halwa is made with basic ingredients and that’s the reason mom always made it whenever I asked her (& also because she loved me so much:) ).
But she always had the ingredients for it in her kitchen.
The three basic ingredients for atta halwa are:
Atta: whole wheat chapati flour which my mom used everyday to make roti/chapati.
Sugar: another pantry staple
Ghee: and of course most Indian houses do have ghee all the time.
So yeah three ingredients and seriously good dessert ready in no time. What’s not to love?
How to Make Good Atta Halwa
Here are some useful points to keep in mind while making aate ka halwa.
Use good quality ghee: since the flavor of the halwa depends so much on ghee, it’s a good idea to use a superior quality ghee.
Homemade or store bought, use the one which you think is most flavorful.
Use a thick bottom pan: it’s a good idea to use a thick bottom pan to make this halwa so that the atta doesn’t burn as you roast it.
Be very careful because if you burn it then the final taste will be spoiled.
Roasting the atta until it turns brown: you need to roast the atta in ghee on medium-low heat until it turns brown in color and emits that nice nutty aroma.
The final color of the halwa will exactly be same as the color of the atta after roasting.
My mom’s halwa was always dark brown in color and so I roast my atta until it turns that shade and then add the water.
Of course, be careful not to burn it. I roasted for around 6 to 7 minutes on medium heat to get that color.
Stir constantly to avoid lumps: once you add the water, you have to stir continuously. Atta halwa can be very lumpy if you don’t do that.
I remember mom always telling me that atta halwa needs to stirred continuously else you won’t get a smooth halwa.
My mom’s atta halwa had no add-ins so I haven’t added anything here either.
There are no nuts or raisins but you can definitely add them if you like. I garnished the halwa with some chopped cashews for presentation.
I have added a pinch of cardamom powder but that is also optional, feel free to skip it.
Serving Suggestions
I love to eat this halwa straight out of the pan.
It’s best served warm.
If you have leftovers and you refrigerate it, you can microwave to re-heat it.
The halwa becomes very solid in the fridge since all the ghee solidifies.
You can also re-heat in a pan, cover with the pan with a lid or plate so that steam melts the ghee and it becomes soft again.
Method
1- Melt ghee in a pan on medium heat.
2- Once the ghee melts, add atta to it.
3- And mix to combine well with the ghee. Meanwhile heat 1 cup water in a pan on another stove. You want to the water to be boiling hot when you add it to the ghee-atta mix. So keep it ready to go.
4- Continue to stir the atta and cook until it turns brown in color and gives a nice aroma, take around 6 to 7 minutes on medium heat.
Be careful to not burn the atta here.
5- Add the hot water now. Be careful as you add it since the halwa will bubble like crazy.
6- Stir continuously for a minute or two as you add the water and the water gets absorbed by the flour. Add in the sugar and mix.
7- The halwa consistency will become liquid-y again after adding sugar. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes on medium heat.
Add cardamom powder and mix (optional).
8. Stir to mix in the cardamom powder and remove pan from heat.
Serve atta halwa immediately. It tastes best when warm! You may garnish with some nuts.
If you’ve tried this Atta Halwa Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Atta Halwa
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup ghee clarified butter, 75 grams (not melted)
- 1/2 cup atta whole wheat flour, 75-80 grams
- 1 cup water 8 oz
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar 100 grams
- pinch green cardamom powder optional
Instructions
- Melt ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once the ghee melts, add atta to it and mix to combine well with the ghee.
- Meanwhile heat 1 cup water in a pan on another stove. You want to the water to be boiling hot when you add it to the ghee-atta mix. So keep it ready to go.
- Continue to stir the atta and cook until it turns brown in color and gives a nice aroma, take around 6 to 7 minutes on medium heat.Be careful to not burn the atta here.
- Add the hot water now. Be careful as you add it since the halwa will bubble like crazy.
- Stir continuously for a minute or two as you add the water and the water gets absorbed by the flour.
- Add in the sugar and mix. The halwa consistency will become liquid-y again after adding sugar. Continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes on medium heat after adding the sugar.
- Add cardamom powder and mix (optional). Stir to mix in the cardamom powder and remove pan from heat.
- Serve atta halwa immediately. It tastes best when warm! You may garnish with some nuts.
Notes
- If you want, you can add nuts like cashews and almonds to the halwa. Either roast them separately or you can roast it along with the atta.
- Some people also like to adding some sooji (semolina) to the atta halwa for texture. You can add 1 tablespoon of it here and roast it along with the atta.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
