The History of Bombay Halwa

The word ‘halwa’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘hulw,’ which means sweet. Halwa is popular in Western Asia, Central and South Asia, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Malta, North Africa and the Horn of Africa.

This popular Indian dish is actually an import from Turkey, which was brought to India many many decades ago.

The word ‘halwa’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘hulw,’ which means sweet. Halwa (also halvah and other spellings) refers to various local confection recipes. The name is used to refer to a huge variety of confections, with the most geographically common variety based on various ingredients. The word halwa entered the English language between 1840 and 1850 from Romanian (helva), which came from the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

Halwa is popular in Western Asia, Central and South Asia, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Malta, North Africa and the Horn of Africa. Halwa can be kept at room temperature during non-summer months with little risk of spoilage.

A reference to halwa appeared in the 7th century, referring to a mixture of mashed dates with milk. By the 9th century, the term was applied to numerous kinds of sweets, including the now-familiar sweetened cooked semolina or flour paste.

Most types of halwas are relatively dense confections sweetened with sugar or honey. Their textures, however, vary. For example, corn-flour-based halwa is gelatinous and translucent, while grains or sesame-based halwas are drier and crumblier.

“When originally used in English, halwa represented a Turkish confection of powdered sesame seeds and honey,” writes food historian KT Achaya.

According to food historians, the first documented recipe for halwa was published in Muhammad ibn Al-Asan -13th Karm’s century Arabic book Kitab al-Tabikh (The Book of Dishes). Eight different halwa recipes are listed in the book.

Halwas are also thought to have originated in Persia, and as a result, distinct varieties of halwa may be found all across the Middle East, Mediterranean, Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Sri Lanka, among other places.

In Karachi, the halwa was invented barely 150 years ago in the year 1896, and it was by coincidence that “Giridhar Mavji” began experimenting with sweets. The sticky Karachi halwa made with corn flour and sold in square lumps was quite popular. Following India’s partition, its owners relocated to Mumbai. Halwais moving from Karachi popularised Karachi halwa, also known as Bombay halwa. While many of the preparations are traditional, new sweets are periodically and continuously developed day after day.

The special characteristic of  Karachi aka Bombay Halwa, is that it is soft and chewy. The texture is smooth, crunchiness given by the nuts present in it. Karachi halwa is made with basically six ingredients – corn flour, nuts, ghee, fragrance, water and sugar. Making Karachi Halwa is easy and does not take much time.

This sweetmeat is distinguished by its rich colour, usually a glossy and vibrant colour like red, green, yellow, and orange (resembling the colour of saffron strands). Unlike more well-known halwas, e.g. Gajar ka Halwa or Moong Dal ka Halwa, the Karachi Halwa has a gelatinous texture that makes it chewy. It is constantly swirled to achieve glutinous consistency. A different combination of food colouring and caramelised sugar is used to make the halwa more appealing.