Skip to main content

Ethapazham Halwa/Banana Halwa




Ethapazham Halwa/Banana Halwa

Do you love plantains? This tropical fruit is sweet and starchy. Whether you love or hate them, this sweet plantain halwa is a delicious treat that you should try. And I guarantee it will quickly become your favorite plantain sweet treats! This halwa smells amazing, with an intense caramelized fruity, plantain flavor, and is a die for! Halwa is a popular,  sweet in India known for its gel-like candy texture and is so addictive. Halwas of different shades and colors are beautifully arranged,  in glass shelves in Indian bakeries. Halwa is adored by young and old in Kerala, and there is an indispensable part of festivals and celebrations.

Ethapazham/ Nenthra Pazham/banana halwa is best when made with overripe plantains. If you have some black-spotted overripe plantains sitting on the kitchen counter, don't be tempted to throw then away. It is best for this recipe. Plantain halwa is very popular in Kerala, and you get the best banana halwa is Kozhikode, a city in North Kerala. When making halwa, there is a time-honored cooking technique, and halwa making is time-consuming. But it is a rewarding experience. It takes a little practice and effort to make the most authentic version. The secret behind a perfect halwa is uniform high heat, and constant stirring. Traditionally this is made in a urali or a heavy bottom wide vessel, made of thick bell metal. Here I used a cast-iron skillet to make halwa. This recipe is a simplified home-made version.

 

 
 
Ethapazham halwa has an intense flavor and is a rich and luxurious dessert. Plantains are naturally sweet, and roasting enhances flavor and sweetness. Coconut milk, cardamom, and ghee also add layers of flavor and taste. The sweetener used is jaggery or unfiltered sugar from coconut sap. It has a rich molasses taste. 
This halwa is similar to karutha halwa/black halwa with fruit flavor added to it. It is best to use dark color jaggery or natural jaggery for dark color and richer flavor. But if you are not a fan of jaggery add sugar instead. A tip to enhance the flavor and color is to add caramelized sugar syrup. Nuts add a delightful crunch, and you can use cashew nuts, almonds, and pistachios. So get your ingredients together and try this recipe. Let me know how it turned out for you:)
 
 

Ethapazham/ Sweet Plantain Halwa

Ingredients
Ripe plantains/Nendra pazham- 5 small sized
Sugar- 1 cup
Powdered Jaggery- 1 cup
( or you can use two cups of sugar)
Ghee- 1/3- 1/2 cup
Cardamon powder- 1 tsp
Chopped cashew nuts- 3 tbs

Bring one cup of water to a boil. Add powdered jaggery and allow it to dissolve. Strain the impurities and set aside.
 Chop ripe plantain/ethapazham into small pieces. If possible peel off the center portion which has black seeds. There are two ways to prepare the plantain. Finely chop or grate the plantain or steam it till soft and gently mash it.
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a heavy bottom pan and toast the nuts till golden brown. Remove and keep aside for later garnish.
 In the same pan add the grated plantains and saute for five to six minutes. Add sugar and continuously stir for another eight minutes. The sugar will caramelize and the mixture will change color, from pale yellow to a golden brown. Add the jaggery water and cook till it is mashed up and gets reduced. Stir continuously for another 8-10 minutes and in between go on adding the ghee to prevent it from sticking. Add cardamom powder and chopped roasted nuts. The halwa is ready when it leaves the edges of the pan and can be rolled into a ball with the spatula. You can also see ghee separating. The whole process will take around 25- 30 minutes. Take a greased steel plate or tray and spread this mixture evenly (use the backside of a spoon to spread and make it smooth). Allow this to sit for three to four hours and then cut into desired shapes.



 You might also like,

Kerala Black Halwa/ Karutha Halwa/ Rice Flour Halwa
Beetroot Halwa
Rava Kesari
Chakka Varatti/ Jack fruit Jam
Butter Bun/ Cream Bun- Kerala Bakery Style
Pazham Pori-Ethapazham pori

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!


Comments

  1. Love these delicacies.. dad used to buy in his business trip to kerala..
    Dish It Out - Onions & Chillis

    ReplyDelete
  2. Delicious halwa, looks very tempting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mouthwatering and delicious looking halwa. Must have tasted yummy.
    Deepa

    ReplyDelete
  4. suja take me home...love halva or alva as its called home

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is really great and looks inviting. will try it.

    Good sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Halwa adipoli Suja, Finally color change cheythu alle. Kollam , Header Enikku isthta pettu.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

12 Best Traditional Kerala Snacks - Tea Time Snacks

 12 Best Traditional Kerala Snacks - Tea Time Snacks  Are you looking for some light bites to indulge during tea time? Well, you have come to the right place. Kerala cuisine has an exhaustive list of traditional tea-time snacks.  The list of ingredients is available in your pantry, making it possible to make these delicious snacks. Many of these snacks, can be quickly whipped up with rice flour, coconut, and jaggery. I am sharing a list of snack recommendations from Kerala that are easy to cook at home. These sweet and savory snacks are heartwarming and will make you nostalgic. It is by no means is a complete list. I am sharing some of the top picks of this blog in one space for easy reference. If you like to try, more recipes check my earlier post on 10 Quick and Easy Kerala Snacks/ Tea time snacks that you can make in under 20 minutes . Do you have any favorite snack that is simple and easy to make? I would love to hear about your favorite traditional snacks. Please share your idea

10 Quick and Easy Kerala Snacks/ Tea time snacks

Do you often look for snack ideas? I like to try new snack recipes. Freshly homemade, tea time snacks appeals to all ages. There are comfort and joy in munching a delicious sweet or savory deep-fried snack with hot piping tea. Some recipes make you nostalgic, and we keep coming back to it time and again. Kerala has an exhaustive list of traditional tea-time snacks. You never get tired of eating them! So here is a list of family favorites. Today I am sharing a collection of 10 easy to make snacks that you can make under 20 minutes . Do you have any favorite snack that is simple and easy to make? Please share your ideas, leave me a comment below Want to try more Kerala snacks, check my post 12 Best Traditional Kerala Snacks - Tea Time Snacks  Pazham Pori- Crispy Fried Sweet Plantain Pazham pori is a quick and easy tea time snack. It is made with ripe sweet plantains dipped in a batter and then deep-fried in coconut oil to crispy golden. Ingredients Ripe plantains - 3 medium Maida-1 1/

Kerala Black Halwa/ Karutha Halwa/ Rice Flour Halwa

Kerala Black Halwa/ Karutha Halwa/ Rice Flour Halwa December has finally arrived and it means it is almost Christmas time! How many of you look forward to the Season of Joy! My birthday also comes in December, so it is a double celebration for me :) How is the Christmas planning coming along for everyone? It is exactly three weeks for Christmas and I am planning to share a few recipes for the holidays this year. This is the first one I wanted to share with all of you -Kerala style sweet delicacy- a real nostalgia, the Black Halwa. Halwas has always amazed me with its simplicity, unique texture and taste. It is a gel-like sweet candy that you can never stop eating. When making halwa there is a time-honored cooking technique and halwa making is time-consuming. So people simply prefer to buy it from the shop. But making your own is a rewarding experience. Now many of the traditional sweets are forgotten or get overlooked for fancier ones in bakeries. But that is not the case w