Photo: Sharvarism · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kerala · Dessert

Kozhikodan Banana Halwa

Calicut's most celebrated sweet — ripe Kerala plantains (nendrapazham) cooked down for hours in ghee and sugar until they achieve a firm, glistening, intensely concentrated banana fudge with a deep mahogany colour and almost toffee-like chew.

🧺 Ingredients

• Ripe nendrapazham (Kerala plantain): 1 kg (peeled weight approx. 800 g)
• Sugar: 400 g
• Ghee: 150 ml
• Cashew nuts: 40 g (halved)
• Cardamom: 6 pods (crushed fine)
• Food-grade colour (red/orange): optional, 2 drops
• Stores at room temperature for 5 days; refrigerate for 2 weeks

👩‍🍳 How to make Kozhikodan Banana Halwa

1. Peel 1 kg ripe nendrapazham.
2. Blend to a completely smooth puree.
3. No lumps.
4. Combine banana puree and 400 g sugar in a heavy, wide, non-stick or iron kadai over medium heat.
5. Stir continuously.
6. The mixture will begin to bubble and splutter.
7. Keep stirring to prevent sticking.
8. After 25–30 minutes it will darken and pull away from the sides.
9. Begin adding ghee — 2 tbsp at a time — every 5 minutes as the halwa cooks over medium heat.
10. Total ghee: 150 ml, added over 50 minutes.
11. Keep stirring continuously — this is non-negotiable.
12. The halwa will progressively darken from golden-yellow to deep amber-mahogany and become dense and fudge-like.
13. Add cardamom and cashews.
14. Stir for 2 minutes.
15. Pour into a greased tray or plate to a 2 cm thickness.
16. Smooth the surface.
17. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour before cutting into squares or diamonds.

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