Name: Almond Halwa or Badam ka Halwa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 210 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Almonds; ¾ cup Superfine Sugar; ¼ cup Mawa; 2½ tablespoons Ghee; 1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder; ¼ cup Milk ((to grind Almonds)); Few strands of Saffron; 3 tablespoons Milk ((to soak saffron))

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A rich and creamy Almond Halwa or Badam ka Halwa is a must-have dessert for the festive season and celebrations! This moist and decadent Indian dessert is made with soaked almonds, mawa (milk solids), and sugar. Easy-to-make, sinfully delicious and addicting!

Can you resist this moist and delicious Almond Halwa or Badam ka Halwa flavored with hints of cardamom and generously topped with slivered almonds, and saffron? Oh yum and utterly delicious to eat.

What is Halwa?

Halwa is a general term used for a very dense, silky smooth, thick, roasted pudding. There are many varieties of halwa, but the cooking procedure for all remains the same.

Only the main ingredient is different. The key ingredient of halwa can range anywhere from flours( wheat flour, chickpea flour) to vegetables (pumpkin, carrots, bottle gourd), and fruits (apple, pineapple).

How to make Almond Halwa or Badam ka Halwa?

This recipe comes together in 3 steps:

Soak the almonds
Grind the almonds
Saute and roast the almond paste to create a yummy halwa.

1. Begin by soaking the almonds first. Best would be to soak them overnight but if you are short on time, soak them in warm water for 2-3 hours, and that will work just fine.

2. Almond skin is excellent for health, but for this recipe, I have removed the skin of the almonds and discarded it. Removing skin is optional, feel free to keep them on and grind almonds to a fine and smooth paste.

3. From here on the recipe is all about sauteeing and roasting the almond paste.

4. Cook until all the moisture dries up – add mawa, sugar, and saffron mixed with milk. Saffron will add an aromatic flavor and vibrant golden color to this halwa.

5. Sugar and saffron-milk mix WILL make the halwa watery and runny, no worries.

6. Keep stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Soon the mixture will become thick, and a smooth and silky badam halwa is ready. Garnish with nuts and enjoy!!

A fair warning though, this dessert will have your guests coming back for seconds (maybe thirds).

Craving for more vrat recipes, try these other options:

Tamanna says:

October 22, 2015 at 4:21 am

Thanks for this lovely recipe. Easy and breezy. Made it without any problem and is too yummy. Your recipes are good and to top that your pictures are like an icing on a cake, well explained steps. Applaud all your hard work.

RK says:

October 22, 2015 at 10:00 pm

Thank you for such a wonderful feedback. Glad you liked it. Keep checking back for more. 🙂

sunita says:

October 26, 2015 at 1:21 am

Hi Ruchi can I use milk powder instead of mawa?

RK says:

October 26, 2015 at 8:53 am

Yes, you can use milk powder.

studentsim says:

April 14, 2016 at 4:38 pm

Hi Ruchi: I made it today as part of the vrat per your meal planner (big thanks!). I found that i had to use about 1 full cup of milk to grind the almonds – the mixture would start clumping – almost like almond butter. At the end it appeared fine but after cooking I still found it grainy. Do you think its related to variety of almonds I used (California almonds). I also used 1/2 cup of sugar and that was perfect for our taste. It was heavenly 🙂 Thank you for all the hard work in educating us!

Ruchi says:

April 15, 2016 at 1:16 pm

Thanks for sharing your experience with me. I guess adding all the almonds at once resulted into that situation. I would suggest- add milk first followed by 1/2 the quantity of almonds, grind it to paste then add the rest almonds to get a smooth texture.