How to make Tamil Nadu's traditional coconut halwa at home for festive days

Homes prepare a variety of sweets during festivals and celebrations. Laddus, kheer, sheera, gulab jamun and rasgulla are the usual choices. Instead of making the same dishes every time, this year one can try the traditional Tamil Nadu coconut halwa, also known as "thengai thirattipal". It can be made in a simple way.

The halwa is made with grated fresh coconut, ghee and jaggery, and takes only 10 to 15 minutes. Everyone at home will praise the royal sweet that melts in the mouth.

Rather than buying sweets from outside during the festive season, this halwa can be made at home in the traditional way. A home-made dish is not only tastier than adulterated food but also good for the body. As a variety of sweets are made with great fondness at home during festivals, this halwa can be tried too.

Ingredients: grated fresh coconut, chopped jaggery, green cardamom, rice flour, water, pure ghee, thin slices of fresh coconut and cashew pieces.

Method: First, put the grated fresh coconut, jaggery, cardamom, rice flour and half a cup of water in a mixer jar. Grind all the ingredients to a fine paste. The rice flour gives the halwa its thickness and also improves the taste.

Next, heat ghee in a pan. Once the ghee is hot, add the thin coconut slices and cashew pieces. Fry them until they turn light golden and crisp, then take them out and set them aside.

Add the ground coconut and jaggery mixture to the ghee left in the pan. Keep stirring with a spoon so that it does not stick to the pan. Cook the jaggery syrup and coconut on a low flame until everything is well combined.

When the mixture turns a deep colour, add the fried cashews, coconut slices and a spoonful of ghee and mix well again. With that, the traditional Tamil Nadu coconut halwa is ready. If you crave something sweet during the festive days, you can make this halwa at home.