Khajur ka halwa

Not yet rated

This traditional halwa recipe is in essence a gloriously squidgy date and walnut fudge, but in Peter Joesph's elegant Indian dessert recipe it is upgraded from mere sweet snack with the addition of hazelnut Chantilly, vanilla ice cream and caramelised walnuts. With cardamom adding a wonderful aroma to the halwa fudge and nuts, seeds and dried fruits providing beautiful texture, any leftover fudge can be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee in place of petits four.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Date and walnut fudge

Caramelised walnuts

  • 8 walnut halves
  • 100g of sugar
  • 100ml of water
  • 500ml of oil, for frying

Hazelnut Chantilly

To serve

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender
  • Piping bag and nozzle

Method

1
Start by softening the dates before cooking. Place in a bowl and cover with the milk, then leave to soak for 2–3 hours
  • 350g of dates, pitted
  • 500ml of milk
2
After this time, transfer the soaked dates and milk to a food processor or blender and blitz together to form a thick paste. Transfer to a pan and place over a low heat
3
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the liquid has mostly absorbed to leave a thick purée. Stir in half of the melted butter and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until fully incorporated
4
Add the sugar, condensed milk, walnuts, seeds, raisins and cardamom to the pan, stirring continuously to mix through evenly without the mixture catching
5
Cook gently for another 10 minutes, then stir in the remaining melted butter while stirring until the mixture comes together as a thick, sticky fudge
6
Transfer to a greased baking tray or tin, spreading out to a thickness of 1.5cm. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving
7
Meanwhile, make the caramelised walnuts. Place the sugar and water in a small pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Add the walnut halves and cook over a gentle heat for 10–12 minutes
8
Place the oil in a separate, deep frying pan and place over a high heat. Once heat, drain the walnuts from the syrup and fry in the oil until golden brown. Drain any excess oil on kitchen paper and set aside until ready to serve
  • 500ml of oil, for frying
9
To make the hazelnut Chantilly, place the cream and icing sugar in a bowl and whip to form soft peaks. Mix in the hazelnut praline paste until evenly combined, transferring to a piping bag until ready to serve
10
To serve, cut the set date fudge into 5cm squares, slicing these in half diagonally into triangles. Divide between serving plates, piping the hazelnut Chantilly across the plates. Top with the walnuts and slivers of date, then sprinkle crushed biscuits to one side and top with a generous scoop of ice cream. Garnish with freeze-dried raspberries and serve immediately
First published in 2016

By moving away from the stereotypical view of Indian cuisine and embracing modern plating styles, Peter Joseph has taken the food he grew up with to dizzying new heights.

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.