Banana Halwa | Banana Sheera »

Banana Halwa, also called Banana Sheera or Satyanarayan Prasad is an Indian candy which I’ve grown up consuming throughout a lot of the puja features in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This Banana Halwa recipe is made by cooking semolina or cream of wheat and bananas collectively in milk or water, flavored with inexperienced cardamom. It’s completed with dry fruits, nuts and saffron. This candy dish is a tasty method of consuming bananas.

About Banana Halwa

Whether or not an auspicious event or no, my mom’s Banana Sheera was all the time a daily at dwelling throughout my rising up years. No marvel, this dessert has been with me until at present. One other fruit sheera that’s a private favourite is that this Pineapple Sheera.

Each halwa or sheera or kesari are made in related methods so long as you’re making it in line with the recipe. The principle distinction is that ‘sheera’ is a Marathi time period and ‘kesari‘ is the South Indian time period for the Hindi phrase ‘halwa‘ that’s made with semolina. In English, Banana Halwa is akin to a Banana Semolina Pudding.

A halwa or sheera is a kind of traditional dishes that’s all the time made on a Ganesh Puja, Satyanarayan Puja, Devi puja or another Hindu spiritual/auspicious event in India. Because of this, Banana Halwa can also be known as Satyanarayan Prasad in lots of Indian households.

Banana Sheera has all the time been part of the neighborhood pujas and features throughout Mumbai as a prasad. ‘Prasad’ means a present of the divine, additionally meals that’s first supplied to a deity after which served to devotees.

The sounds of the aarti and bhajan, the perfume of the incense and garlands, and the flavors of the Satyanarayan Prasad served together with Panchamrut (one other widespread prasad) is an expertise in itself.

On common days, I may not be capable to recreate the sounds of the ‘dhol’ and ‘manjeera’ (drums and hand cymbals) at dwelling. However I can absolutely mild some ‘diyas’ (earthen lamps) and incense sticks and benefit from the second with a stunning Banana Halwa made with ripe bananas.

Extra on My Recipe

Primarily, any sheera or halwa is made with copious portions of clarified butter or ghee. However I do make this sheera on events with a impartial oil (odorless and flavorless oil) and typically including lesser quantity of ghee.

One other level of debate is whether or not to make use of milk or water in a sheera. To this, I say use no matter you want to. Nevertheless, utilizing milk will clearly make it richer. Thus, tastier too.

In case you’re a vegan, it’s a no brainer as you’ll have to make use of water or plant based mostly milk on this Banana Halwa recipe.

It’s best to roast the semolina and retailer it earlier than utilizing within the recipe. By doing so you may keep away from the semolina from getting spoilt and moldy. When utilizing contemporary semolina, you’ll have to fry it for an extended time, roughly 10 minutes, in oil/ghee until it modifications colour and is aromatic.

Within the recipe I’ve used pre-roasted rava. For those who use un-roasted rava, you’ll have to roast the rava for about 7 to eight minutes on a low to medium-low warmth till aromatic and nicely roasted.

Be aware that this Banana Halwa recipe may be very totally different than the South Indian Banana Halwa variant made with ripe bananas, sugar or jaggery, ghee and flavorings. This variant doesn’t have any cereal like suji or rava added to it and is solely made with banana as one of many hero ingredient.

Step-by-Step Information

The best way to make Banana Halwa

1. Warmth 5 tablespoons ghee or 4 tablespoons impartial flavored oil in a kadai or pan. On most events I exploit ghee to make Banana Sheera.

Add 1 cup roasted semolina and roast for two to three minutes stirring usually.

If utilizing rava that isn’t roasted, you’ll have to roast it for a 7 to eight minutes stirring usually on a low to medium-low warmth.

2. Add 2 to three chopped bananas and stir to provide a combination.

3. Decrease the warmth, add 2.5 cups sizzling water or milk in batches. Give an intensive combine each time you add the recent water or milk in order that lumps will not be fashioned. Take care when including the recent liquids because the combination splutters.

Add ½ teaspoon inexperienced cardamom powder (or 2 to three inexperienced cardamoms, powdered) and the dry fruits – 8 to 10 chopped almonds or cashews, chopped and 10 to 12 raisins. Stir to combine.

The semolina absorbs the liquid and swells up. Stir nicely in order that the combination doesn’t grow to be lumpy.

4. Add ½ cup sugar (uncooked sugar or common sugar) or as required, and stir to mix till the sugar dissolves.

5. Maintain stirring. Be sure that the combination is clean and never lumpy. Simmer the Banana Halwa for two to three minutes on low or medium warmth. 

Lastly, add a pinch of crushed saffron.

6. Stir once more and cook dinner the Banana Sheera for two to three minutes extra.

7. Pour the Banana Halwa into serving bowls and let it set. Un-mould and serve sizzling or heat. Select additionally to serve it sizzling or heat in small serving bowls in the event you want.

Professional Ideas

1. In case you are utilizing rava which isn’t roasted already, fry rava within the sizzling ghee or oil for 7 to eight minutes or extra on low to medium-low warmth until it modifications colour and turns into aromatic. Maintain stirring in between and ensure to not brown it.
2. The rava will soak up the water or milk and swell up. Stir nicely for a lump-free combination. Add the recent liquids in batches and stir each time.
3. Roasted semolina doesn’t get spoiled or turns into moldy. So it helps to have a jar of selfmade roasted semolina helpful when making this halwa if you wish to scale back the cooking time.
4. You may fry the dry fruits and nuts in oil or ghee and add to the Banana Halwa on the final. For a halwa with a clean texture, you may add some extra ghee or oil.
5. You may select so as to add milk or water. Including milk as a substitute of water will make the halwa richer. To make a vegan variation, use water or plant based mostly milk and impartial flavored oil.

Extra Halwa Recipes To Strive!

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This Banana Halwa recipe submit from the weblog archives first revealed in January 2013 has been republished and up to date on 29 Jun 2022.