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red grape halwa

Red Grape Halwa (Instant Munthiri Halwa)

​A rich, glossy, and mouth-watering South Indian sweet made with fresh red grapes, cornflour, sugar, and ghee. This delicious instant red grape halwa has a wonderful jelly-like texture and is a perfect festive treat or dessert that you can easily prepare at home.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dessert / Sweet
Cuisine: South Indian / Kerala Style

Ingredients
  

  • ​Red Grapes: 500 gms
  • ​Sugar: 1 ¾ Cups
  • ​Corn Flour: 5 tbsp
  • ​Water: As required to dissolve cornflour and adjust consistency
  • ​Ghee: As required approx. 3 to 4 tablespoons for roasting and shining texture
  • ​Cashew Nuts & Almonds: A handful for garnishing

Equipment

  • ​Blender / Mixer grinder
  • ​Strainer (Sieve)
  • ​Heavy-bottomed pan or Non-stick kadai
  • ​Spatula

Method
 

  1. ​Extract Grape Juice: Wash the fresh red grapes thoroughly. Transfer them into a blender and blend into a smooth puree without adding too much water. Strain the juice using a fine strainer to remove the skin and seeds completely. Keep the extracted grape juice aside.
  2. ​Prepare Cornflour Slurry: In a mixing bowl, take 5 tablespoons of cornflour, add a little water, and mix well without any lumps.
  3. ​Combine Ingredients: Pour the strained red grape juice into a heavy-bottomed pan or non-stick kadai. Add 1 ¾ cups of sugar and the prepared cornflour slurry to it. Mix everything thoroughly while the flame is still off to ensure no lumps are formed.
  4. ​Thicken the Mixture: Now, place the pan on medium heat and start stirring continuously. As it heats up, the mixture will begin to thicken and turn translucent.
  5. ​Add Ghee: Keep stirring on medium-low flame. Gradually add ghee spoon by spoon as the halwa absorbs it. Stir continuously to prevent sticking at the bottom.
  6. ​Achieve Glossy Texture: Cook until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan, becomes thick, glossy, and non-sticky.
  7. ​Add Nuts: Fry a handful of cashew nuts and almonds in a little ghee until golden brown and fold them into the prepared halwa.
  8. ​Set and Serve: Transfer the hot red grape halwa to a greased tray or bowl, let it set, slice, and serve!

Video

Notes

​Stirring Tip: Continuous stirring is essential after adding the cornflour slurry to avoid lump formation and burning.
​Ghee: Adding ghee in intervals gives the halwa a rich, glossy finish and traditional aroma.