Custard apple halwa is a fusion recipe, let me tell you this first. This halwa is a combination of fruit & an ingredient (rava) readily available in your home kitchen.
The custard apple fusion halwa is not a traditional halwa that we make on regular days. However, the process is similar to the famous suji ka halwa because suji, aka semolina, is the base ingredient.
The fruity flavour with cashews, almonds and red raisins makes this recipe yum-yum. Believe me; kids won’t resist eating it once you make it. On the other hand, if you love traditional Indian sweets, you will definitely “right swipe” this halwa.
Another notable thing here is the nutmeg powder. Gujaratis mainly use nutmeg (jaifal) in kheer recipes. Despite cardamom being used in Gujarati kheer yet, nutmeg gives a different taste. I would recommend using it when you make this custard apple halwa.
I prefer making halwa a little creamy instead of dry. A creamy texture elevates not only the look of the recipe but also the taste. The question is, what will you add to this halwa to get a nice and soft creamy consistency?
The options are many. For example, milk, ghee, heavy cream & milk cream (malai). Even milk mawa, aka khoya, is a viable option.
Yes, you can use any of the ingredients mentioned to get a silky smooth, creamy halwa. Additionally, you can get the creamy texture for any type of halwa recipe that you make.
Now that we are making custard apple halwa let me tell you about other ingredients.
Our halwa consists of minimalist ingredients: ghee, suji, milk and dry fruits, and nutmeg. Let’s read below what each ingredient has to do.
Since we are making a custard apple halwa recipe, our start ingredient is the custard apple fruit. Use quality custard apples & deseed them using a strainer and spatula. Refer to my recipe video to learn how it’s done. This way you get thick fruit pulp.
Instead of roasting the rava dry, I mixed it with ghee. There are a few reasons. First, the rava won’t burn. Second, the rava will roast completely & compliment the ghee in terms of flavours and the ghee will prevent the entire mixture from burning at the bottom. All in all, ghee and semolina make a perfect base for halwa.
Like I said above, milk gives a creamy texture to the halwa. You can use heavy cream or milk malai too. Milk mawa or khoya is again a reliable substitute for milk. What happens is when you add milk, you will have to cook longer.
It is because the water in the milk needs to be burnt. Using milk mawa, aka khoya, decreases the overall cook time. Since there’s not much water content in the mawa which needs to be burnt, either can be used.
If you look closely, I haven’t used cardamom. Cardamom gives flavour and aroma to the recipe, and nutmeg does the same. Nutmeg is a popular spice famous for its warm and nutty flavour.
Moreover, it’s a perfect ingredient to comfort sweet & savoury dishes. I believe that nutmeg is an intense spice having a strong aroma compared to cardamom. Though if you like cardamom “elaichi” instead of nutmeg then go for it.
Dry fruits here are add-ons to the custard apple halwa. You can experiment using black raisins instead of red ones. It won’t change anything in the recipe. Trying something new is what I always recommend to my readers.
The halwa colour is bright and black raisins will complement the overall look of the dish. Just go for it.