Banana Halwa

Banana Halwa is a fudge made out of ripe banana, sugar, ghee, cashew nuts and some cardamom to flavor. Simple ingredients that are usually available in a kitchen pantry are all that you need to make this halwa.

Banana Halwa is very common in the Havyaka households especially in Mangalore region.

This recipe is one of the signature dishes of my mom. She makes it so simple using a microwave. No one ever has NOT complimented her for this halwa. It’s time for you to try this at home and relish the goodness.
Yields: 40 Pieces (approx)

Yields: 40 pieces (approx)

Ingredients:

Fully Ripe Nendra Bananas – 6 (see notes below)
Sugar – 1 3/4 cups (if you prefer sweeter, add 1/4 cup more)
Salt – a pinch
Ghee – 1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon for greasing
Cashew nuts, chopped – 1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder – 1 teaspoon

Method: 

1. Peel all the bananas and cut them into 1cm thick discs.
2. Place the banana pieces and sugar in a container and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. Do not cook the banana pieces directly in the cooker as the banana pieces might get charred or stick to the cooker.
3. Remove the container from the pressure cooker and let it cool down to room temperature.
4. Puree the cooked banana. Add the liquid sugar too that has been produced as the sugar melted while pressure cooking. Make sure the puree has no banana piece left behind.
5. Take the pureed banana and a pinch of salt in a large microwave cooking bowl, mix well. Set the microwave to cook on HIGH for 30 minutes. It very important to pause the oven and stir thoroughly for every 10 minutes and place it back in the oven immediately. If reminding yourself to pause every 10 minutes is too tedious, cook for 10 minutes on HIGH and repeat it two more times. 
6. Add chopped cashew nuts and cardamom powder. Mix well.
7. From now, reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes or TWO 5 minutes interval; stirring thoroughly after 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee after each interval, mix well.
8. Now reduce the cooking time to 9 minutes or THREE 3 minutes interval; stirring thoroughly after every 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee after each interval, mix well.
9. Again reduce the cooking time to 8 minutes or FOUR 2 minute interval; stirring thoroughly after every 2 minutes. 
10. The banana mixture should now form a lump. Cooking of the mixture will be done in total of 55-60 minutes depending on the power of the microwave oven and the quality of bananas used. To check if is done, if the mixture after Step 9 has formed a fluffy and porous lump, stop cooking any more and follow step 10. If the mixture is still not fluffy and porous, microwave on HIGH for 1 minute intervals; stirring after every minute until it becomes fluffy and porous.
11. Immediately, transfer this mixture onto a greased tray.
12. Using a greased spatula spread the halwa evenly on the greased plate.
13. Once cooled, cut it into squares or any other desired shapes.

Notes:

1. To prepare halwa, Nendra bananas must be very well ripened. The bananas are ripened enough when the peel turns completely black in color. If you use the bananas which are not fully ripened, the halwa will come out as desired.
2. I use a 1.5kW and 1.8cu.ft microwave oven. But if you are using a smaller microwave oven, the total time taken might differ. So keep a careful watch in the last few minutes for doneness.
3. It is very important to place the mixture back in the oven after stirring in every interval so that the mixture does not lose heat and take longer to get the desired result.
4. You can prepare the halwa, the traditional way. Instead of using Microwave in steps 5-10, stir the banana puree continuously in a heavy bottomed pan until it comes together and forms a fluffy and porous lump.
5. Instead of Nendra variety of banana, you can use the small variety (Elakki/Yalakki/Kadali) banana. To replace 6 Nendra bananas, you need about 20 small bananas. I personally like the halwa made with this small variety of bananas.It have a a deep purplish-black color and a firmer texture.
6. The most commonly available bananas, Cavendish/Dole/Chiquita bananas are not good to prepare this halwa.