The Kozhikoddan Halwa is one of the most famous delicacies of Kerala. The striking feature is that they are made from Coconut Oil. Elsewhere in India, the Halwas are made using pure Ghee. This gives it a characteristic taste and makes it more healthy to eat. The other base ingredients of the Halwa include starch (flour), eggs, sugar (or jaggery) and nuts. It takes about an average of two hours to prepare a good batch of Halwa. This makes it last for many months without refrigeration.
It was said to be developed by Arab residents who landed in Kerala for the spice trade. They gifted this delicacy to Zamorin of Kozhikode, which then became an integral part of Kerala’s food history. The name Halwa comes from the Arab word called ‘Hulw‘ which means sweet. It was loved by the Britishers and the Portuguese who arrived at Kerala years later. You can find many shops with multiple stalls of coloured Halwa stacked in the famous ‘Mittaiteruvu’ (Sweet Street) of Kozhikode to this day.
If you ever get a chance to visit this street, make sure to try out the samples of the infinite varieties of Halwas that are on display. This street is also known as SM Street (Sweet Meat Street). The prices of the various varieties of Halwa ranges from Rs. 80 to Rs. 180. The Halwa has gained prominence and fans all over neighbouring states with tourist and pilgrims buying from these stalls and distributing to their friends, families and neighbours. And this means hundreds of kilograms of Halwa are being sold every day.
The Halwas from Kozhikode also stands out with the various varieties on offer. The shopkeepers have experimented with various ingredients and colours to make them a visual treat as it is to consume them. They even have exotic varieties such as passion fruit, tapioca and even chilli halwa. Next, we will explore some of the details of the Halwas available in the South Indian Store!
Some of the popular Kozhikodan Halwas are as follows:
It is prepared from selected ripe bananas which are slowly stirred over three hours in coconut oil and ghee.
An authentic sweet which is the speciality of North Malabar region is Banana Halwa. It is prepared from a specific variety of banana called Nendran. Finally mashed and intricately mixed with ghee and cardamom. It is cooked with utmost care and patience to bring out the traditional taste and increase the shelf life of Kozhikodan Banana Halwa.
It is loved not only in Kerala but also the coastal regions of Karnataka. The Malabar region is famous for the fruity Halwa with a taste like never before but banana halwa is the most unique and tasty of all.
This Halwa is one of the most loved ones from the Kozhikode Halwa inventory. This recipe is adopted by Muslims during their Iftaar parties during the Ramzan season. It is loved by everyone and the flavour is worth the money or time you spend on it!
The selected dates are carefully mashed and cooked in hot ghee until all the water content is evaporated. Jaggery is then added sufficiently to balance the quantities and to maintain the flavour alongside the sweetness. No extra preservative or artificial colour is added to Kozhikodan dates halwa.
This Halwa is an authentic Kerala sweet and is one of the most favourite versions of halwa you will ever come across. The flavour of cardamom takes the experience to another level. It is prepared with utmost dedication and you will love every bit of it. It is made from the purest forms of ghee and coconut oil.
Black halwa is famous across the Indian subcontinent for its overwhelming flavour and sweetness. Be it a marriage ceremony or spiritual occasion, this black halwa is served everywhere. The traces of coconut and richness of coconut oil makes it worth giving a try. Earlier it used to be simple jelly-like halwa which was loaded with sugar. But, South India has seen improvised versions and recreations of this marvel with time.
Also Read: 5 Ingredients that make black halwa healthy and tasty
We have now covered most of the Halwas that are growing increasingly popular from South Indian Malabar side. If you would like to taste these wonderful delicacies sitting right at your home, make sure to check out the links, which would direct you to the product page where you can purchase them!