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Loading...Paneer halwa is a quick, unique & unavailable at regular sweet shops type of sweet dish. Yeah, that’s true. You won’t find it elsewhere. Okay, do this.
Visit your nearest halwai shop & ask भैया वो चेरी की टॉपिंग वाला पनीर हलवा दीजिये ना.🤪 The shop owner will scratch his head.😜 I am just kidding.🤣
What’s the plan? The plan is to help you make this चेरी की टॉपिंग वाला पनीर हलवा at home. And that too in just 10-15 minutes. I have shared the ingredient list & the cooking process. You can skip details & directly jump to the recipe card.
Before we begin, let’s understand what exactly we are making today.
Why Paneer ka Halwa?
It’s a non-traditional form of halwa made out of cottage cheese, aka panner. Why non-traditional? Because you won’t find this kind of halwa at regular sweet shops. Luckily even if you find this halwa at the nearest shop, it will be too expensive.
Paneer halwa is a chewy combo of cottage cheese, milk, sugar & dry fruits. The texture of the halwa is granular, i.e. kanidar. Moreover, the creamy-white colour with a cherry topping is altogether next level. It appears like a birthday cake with a cherry on it.
Now that you know what paneer halwa is, let me talk some of the ingredients. The halwa recipe requires minimalistic items to make.
Which Milk One Should Use?
Use full-fat milk. We aren’t using milk mawa, aka khoya; hence full-fat milk will be ideal. Above all, milk is our base ingredient and adds to the total volume of the outcome.
If you are using fat-free milk, add extra milk cream or malai to give that texture to the halwa.
Why Shredded Paneer?
Paneer is our star ingredient. We are using shredded paneer because it will bind milk & other ingredients together.
I prefer to use homemade paneer and you should also do the same. However, if you prefer buying paneer, don’t buy the shredded paneer available.
Elaichi Powder
Elaichi powder, aka cardamom, is for flavour & aroma. If you don’t like the taste of Elaichi, I will suggest you add full Elaichi instead of powder so you can remove them later.
Still, if you don’t prefer using it, giving some flavour and aroma will elevate your Paneer halwa. So you can substitute Elaichi with Cinnamon. However, the first choice is always cardamom aka Elaichi.
Dry Fruits
Chopped almonds or cashews or even red or black raisins can go into this paneer halwa. Use either or all as per your taste profile.
Milk Powder for Creamy Texture
The milk powder here is a secret ingredient. Your halwa will get a creamy texture, and additionally, it will stay in shape.
In short, milk powder acts as a binding agent. Go for it. Don’t skip.
Cooking Tips for Paneer Halwa
Boiling milk & adding shredded paneer is crucial. Add paneer only after the first boil of the milk. Remember, we do not have to boil the milk till it is half or until it thickens. Both paneer & milk powder will absorb the moisture & make the mixture dry.
Doing this will help you give a desired shape to the mixture: either round, oval, square, rectangle or something else. If your mixture is loose, you will have a hard time moulding it the way you want.
