Made in only 15 minutes and with only 5 ingredients, this Chaulai (Amaranth) Halwa is a decadently delicious dessert perfect for any Indian festival.
Considerng how delicious and rich this Chaulai Halwa is, you’d be amazed at how simple it is to make this using only a 5 ingredients. It especially comes handy during the fun but busy festive season. I’m sure it’s gonna be a family favourite as it is loved by kids and adults alike.
The star ingredient is of course chaulai (amaranth) which has been eaten in India for a long time. Especially in the state of Uttarakhand, where I’m from it is consumed in the form of laddus, kheer and halwa (various types of Indian desserts) during festival fasts because grains are not consumed during fasts. Amaranth has now become famous in the west as a gluten-free superfood. And that’s not a surprise when you look at the wholesome nutritional profile of this seed.
Why should you make Chaulai (Amaranth) Halwa?
- Only 5 simple ingredients
- Takes just 15 minutes to make
- Low effort-high reward recipe
- Gluten-free
- Chaulai (Amaranth) is very nutritious
Tips and Tricks
- Dairy-free – to make it dairy-free, replace ghee with any neutral oil.
- Jaggery – you can replace jaggery with white or brown sugar.
- Nut allergy – replace nuts with mixed seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, etc.
FAQs
Chaulai is technically a seed but is widely misunderstood as a grain. It is therefore completely gluten-free. It’s rich in many nutrients and is consumed in India typically during festive fasting when grains are not usually eaten.
Yes, water can be replaced with milk in this recipe.
It’s quite simple to pop Chaulai (Amaranth) seeds. Click here to check a helpful tutorial.
Recipe Video – How to make Chaulai (Amaranth) Halwa?
video
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Chaulai/Rajgira Halwa (Puffed Amaranth Fudge)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Made under 15 minutes and with only simple 5 ingredients this festive dessert is decadently delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 cup chaulai/ rajgira (puffed amaranth seeds)
- 1 cup water
- 1½ tbsp jaggery powder or whole cane sugar
- ¼ cup mixed nuts
- 5 cardamom pods, crushed (optional)
Instructions
- In a pan on medium-low heat, add ghee and roast chopped nuts for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring in between and don’t let them burn.
- Then, add chaulai (puffed amaranth) to the pan and roast them for another 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring.
- At this point add water slowly and please be careful because it’s going to be splatter.
- Stir and then add jaggery powder or any sweetener of your choice. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Optionally, add crushed cardamom seeds at this point.
