halwa puri near me

Halwa Puri

Halwa Puri is one unique comfort food you can find in Indian and Pakistani cuisines. The name is for the sweet Halwa which is made of semolina, and the savoury Puri which is a fried flatbread.

Traditionally, this combo menu is often for breakfast, brunch or snacks. It is also commonly served at happy occasions and celebrations such as religious festivities, weddings, etc. And of course, it is one of the sought-after street foods in both Pakistan and India.

How to enjoy

At times people will also have Aloo Chana (potato and chickpea curry) to go with Halwa Puri.

These three dish combinations were the ones that I always have from the very first time.

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And I think this is best. Because some people who prefer savoury can choose the combination of flatbread and chana (chickpeas). As for those who love sweets, they can enjoy the flatbread with the Halwa.

But those who like both savoury and sweet (like me) can always go for both choices. I think this menu is a clever mix.

The first time I tried this delicious food, I was amazed at how the fried flatbread marries well with the sweet Halwa. And when it comes to pairing it with Chana, it is simply delicious.

The downside of eating Halwa Puri is that it is moreish, and you’ll end up feeling guilty afterwards. Because like it or not, we have to admit that eating too-much deep-fried food is not healthy, is it?

So really, I’d say, let’s just make this flavourful dish combo for when we like a treat for ourselves. Like one lazy weekend after a long busy week. But not every week though.

And this post will tell you how to make Halwa Puri easily and quickly.

Key Ingredients

There are so many types of Halwa, but the one you enjoy with puris is called Sooji Halwa, Suji ka Halwa, Suji Halwa – that all means pudding made of semolina. And this recipe will teach you how to make Suji Halwa. Therefore,the key ingredient for this is semolina. You can add nuts and raisins to your semolina pudding. The popular ones are almonds and pistachios.

To make Puri/ Poori, you can use plain flour/ all-purpose flour, but add two teaspoons of baking powder to 1 cup of plain flour. Otherwise, your puris will be crispy and dry instead of soft and puffy.

You can also use regular Chapati flour/ atta. And in this recipe, I use medium atta/ Chapati flour.

Please note that this recipe is forgiving when it comes to flavour. I mean, this recipe will give you a deliciously sweet enough Halwa. But for the sweet tooth, you are more than welcome to add more sugar.

The same thing goes for the flavouring. Most Indians and Pakistanis put spices in their Halwa. At the very least they use green Cardamom seeds. However, this is not a must. You can skip it if you’re not keen. I sometimes use green Cardamoms, other times I don’t.

Other ingredients for halwa are milk, sugar and butter. And if you like, you can add a tablespoon or two of ghee towards the end of cooking.

Equipment you need

• Cooking pot, I prefer a stainless steel one as its heat distribution is better to fry semolina flour.
• Wooden spoon.
• Mixing bowl.
• Large chopping board.
• Rolling pin.
• Large wok.

How to Make Halwa Puri

First, you make the semolina pudding. Fry the semolina without oil on a pan until it releases an aroma and its colour turns slightly darker. And then add the butter in, followed by sugar.

Once the sugar has fully melted, you put the nuts and milk in. You will get a soft porridge-like semolina mixture at this point. Just carry on cooking it until all the liquid evaporates and you get a thick Halwa.

You can stop cooking when it gets to the consistency that you like. I like the softer texture. So I turn the heat down as soon as I see the milk and butter disappear yet the semolina mixture is slightly wet and soft.

Towards the end, you can add one or two tablespoons of ghee or extra butter to make the Halwa taste richer and yummier. But it is optional.

How to make puri

Next, you make the puri. Mix the atta/ chapati flour with water and work on it until you get a nice smooth dough.

Divide the dough into equal small balls. After that, you roll the balls into a flat circular shape of the dough. To make it easy to fry the flatbread, you would want to roll it out into small circles, something like 13 cm/ 5.11 inches to 15 cm/ 5.9 inches in diameter.

Then, heat the oil in a large frying pan or a wok at medium heat. Test the oil by frying a pinch of dough. If it fries steadily but not too quickly, the oil is ready.

Carefully lay or slide one rolled-out dough circle into the oil. Using the utensil, spoon the oil over the dough. You can press it gently with the utensil. The dough will puff up.

When it is puffed up, turn the dough and make sure you don’t break it. Because you don’t want the oil to go inside your puri.

Once the puri turns golden, you can take it out and let it rest on a kitchen towel.

Tips to make the best tasting Halwa Puri

• Keep stirring the semolina while you roast it in the pan. You want to make sure it’s evenly cooked. And do so until the grains turn colour and do smell roasty.
• When it comes to making Puri, you want to make the dough as you would for chapati. The texture of your dough will be pliable and soft enough to work.
• Try to work quickly with the dough so that you don’t have to use too much flour for dusting.
• The thinner the flatbread is, the better it fries, and it will puff up nicely. I would aim to get about 2 mm in thickness.

More sweet recipes in Pakistani style

I hope you are now interested in trying this Halwa Puri recipe. If you do, it will be great if you could share what you think about it in the comments below.

And before you go, don’t forget to check my other sweet recipes that you may love.

• Gajar Ka Halwa – easy carrot halwa Pakistani recipe.
• Besan barfi: scrumptious chickpea fudge.
• Besan ladoo: chickpea flour sweet balls.
• Kheer: spiced-up rice pudding.

Last but not least, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest. To sneak a peek at what’s cooking in my kitchen.

Take care and all the best.