Dry Fruits & Nuts Halwa

Fruit & Nut Halwa

With Deepavali comes good luck, prosperity happiness and lots and lots of sweets. Typically different variety of traditional Indian sweets and snacks are prepared well in advance. One of the sweets I made for this year`s Deepavali is Dry Fruits and Nuts Halwa, which contains a variety of delectable dry fruits and nuts that are sweetened with sugar and flavored with cardamoms. The natural sweetness from the fruits, the crunchy almonds and a little bitterness from the walnuts makes this dessert a divine delight. 

List of ingredients: 

1. 2 cups Bread crumbs
2. 1 cup Dry figs
3. 1 cup Chopped raisins/dry grapes
4. 1 cup De-seeded, chopped dates
5. 1/2 cup Dry Cherries
6. 1/2 cup Dry Prunes
7. 1/2 cup Peeled and chopped almonds
8. 1/2 cup Chopped cashew nuts 1/2 cup
9. 1/2 cup Chopped walnuts 1/2 cup
10. 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder
11. 2 cups Sugar
12. 1/2 cup Ghee 

Procedure: 

1. Wash the almonds 4 to 5 minutes and then soak them for about 4 to 5 hours in warm water or until the skin comes off easily. Peel the skin and keep aside.
2. Soak the walnuts in a cup of water for five minutes. Drain and wash well. Set aside. Chop the nuts finely.
3. Fry the crumbs in about four tablespoons of ghee till well roasted. Transfer to a plate.
4. Chop the dry fruits as much as possible. In a large heavy bottomed pot, add the dry fruits with four cups of water. Stir and cook over moderate heat till the mixture becomes a little thick and the dry fruit is cooked or until it is like a thick gravy consistency. Mix in the sugar and stir well until the sugar is dissolved.
5. Now add the the walnuts, almonds and the cashews. Keep stirring for about 5 minutes
6. Add the crumbs and stir to halwa consistency. Add the remaining ghee and cardamom powder.

Serve warm at room temperature.