Sweets recipes | Havyaka

Balehannina halwa | Banana fudge

By Leena Hegde, Puttanamane

Ingredients A quick look Step by step Notes

Banana halwa is a simple, tasty dessert recipe made with ripe banana, jaggery, ghee, and cardamom. Optionally, halwa can be topped with a few pieces of cashews or almonds or both. However, topping should not overpower the taste and flavour of banana.

With its super-soft-spongy and chewy texture, banana and jaggery flavors, slight aroma of ghee, and a trace of cardamom, this is a delicious and undeniably decadent dessert of banana. This is also a way of preserving this humble and nourishing fruit, when there are more.

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Cool off time

3 hrs

Total time

4 hrs

Course

Sweets

Diet

Vegetarian

Difficulty level

Moderate

Servings

20 pieces

Ingredients

1 kg ripe or overripe banana
½ kg jaggery
¼ cup fresh ghee
5 - 6 cardamoms
10 cashews (optional)

Cookware / Utensils

Thick pan
Spoon or spatula
Steel plate or tray
Mixer
Mortar and pestle (optional)

Instructions

Remove and rinse cardamom seeds.
Rinse cashews and cut them to pieces. If you prefer, you can dry roast the cashews.
Wash Bananas. Peel them and cut into rough slices.
Take banana slices in a mixer jar. Add cardamom seeds and grind to a smooth puree.
Take ground banana puree in a thick vessel or pan or kadai. Add jaggery.
Mix well and cook on medium flame stirring continuously.
Once jaggery is well combined with banana puree, add ghee and mix well.
Cook further stirring continuously. Mixture starts thickening, also turns dark.
Continue to cook until ghee separates from sides and the mixture starts to hold a shape.
Add cashew pieces and mix well.
Switch off and transfer the mixture to a greased plate or tray.
Spread and level up. Cover and keep aside. Let it rest for 3 to 4 hours.
Then cut into desired shapes.
Store halwa in an airtight container and use as required.

Step by step guide

How to make Banana halwa

1. Remove and rinse cardamom seeds. Rinse cashews and cut them to pieces. If you prefer, you can dry roast the cashews.

2. Wash Bananas.

3. Peel them.

4. Cut into rough slices.

5. Take banana slices in a mixer jar. Add cardamom seeds and grind to a smooth puree.

6. Take ground banana puree in a thick vessel or pan or kadai. Add jaggery.

7. Mix well and cook on medium flame stirring continuously.

8. Once jaggery is well combined with banana puree, add ghee and mix well.

9. Cook further stirring continuously. Mixture starts thickening, also turns dark.

10. Continue to cook until ghee separates from sides and the mixture starts to hold a shape.

11. Add cashew pieces and mix well.

12. Switch off and transfer the mixture to a greased plate or tray.

13. Spread and level up. Cover and keep aside. Let it rest for 3 to 4 hours.

14. Then cut into desired shapes. Store halwa in an airtight container and use as required.

Notes

You can use any type of banana and jaggery. Texture and taste will vary accordingly.
Use fresh ghee and you can add ghee in two batches.
The exact time may vary depending on the type of pan used, flame intensity, and the ingredients type.
Servings or number of halwa pieces depends on setting and cutting process. I.e. how thick or thin you spread halwa mixture and how large you cut each piece.
Banana halwa stays good for about a month. However, shelf life depends on room and weather temperature, ingredients quality, storage and usage style.