Multani Sohan Halwa (Home Version)
ملتانی سوہن حلوہ (گھریلو انداز)
Sohan halwa is Multan's gift to Pakistan: dense, dark, caramel-sweet discs packed with almonds and pistachios, sold in round tins and carried home as a souvenir. Sweet shops make it in huge iron pans with sprouted wheat and hours of stirring. This home version uses ordinary and milk and takes about an hour and a half. It isn't identical to the shop's, but it captures the chewy, toffee-like texture and the deep, browned-milk flavour.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 40 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 1 hr 30 min
- Hard
- Serves 16
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Whisk the atta into 1 cup of the cold milk until smooth. Put the rest of the milk in a large, heavy and bring it to a boil.
Add the lemon juice to the boiling milk so it splits slightly into fine grains; this gives sohan halwa its grainy texture. Then stir in the atta-milk mixture and the sugar.
Cook on medium heat, stirring often, for 40–50 minutes until the mixture has reduced to a thick, sticky mass and turned light brown. Stir constantly towards the end so it doesn't burn.
Add the ghee a few spoonfuls at a time, stirring after each addition. Keep cooking and stirring for 20–25 minutes, until the halwa turns deep brown, leaves the sides of the pan in one mass and the ghee separates around it.
Stir in the cardamom, saffron, almonds and most of the pistachios. Pour off any excess ghee.
While still hot, spread the halwa about 1.5 cm thick on a greased tray or press it into small greased bowls to make rounds. Press the remaining pistachios on top and leave to set for 2–3 hours, then cut or unmould.
Kitchen notes
Use a heavy pan and keep stirring. Sugar and milk solids burn quickly, and burnt sohan halwa tastes bitter.
The colour should be a deep caramel brown. If you stop while it's still pale, the halwa will be soft and won't set.
Shop sohan halwa uses germinated wheat (angoori) for its unique chew. If you can find sprouted wheat flour, use it in place of atta.
Multan’s famous sweet
Multan is known for many things: its shrines, its heat, its blue pottery and its sohan halwa. Sweet shops around the old city sell it in round tins, and visitors carry them home for friends and family. It keeps for weeks without a fridge, which made it the ideal sweet to travel with long before refrigeration.
What makes it sohan halwa
Most halwas are soft and spoonable. Sohan halwa is firm and chewy, something between fudge and toffee. That comes from cooking milk, flour and sugar for a long time until most of the moisture is gone and the sugar caramelises, then adding ghee and cooking again until the mass darkens and pulls together.
A little lemon juice added to the boiling milk splits it slightly. Those fine milk grains are what give sohan halwa its typical slightly grainy bite.
Honest expectations
The halwa sold in Multan is made in large quantities with germinated wheat and techniques passed down through generations. This home version won’t be identical, but it’s a good approximation: dark, nutty, caramel-sweet and studded with nuts.
Serving
Cut into squares or unmould into rounds and serve with chai. It makes a good homemade gift for Eid.
Questions people ask
My sohan halwa is too soft. What went wrong?
It wasn't cooked long enough. Return it to the pan and cook, stirring, until it's darker and pulls away from the sides.
How long does it keep?
In an airtight tin at room temperature it keeps for 3–4 weeks, which is why it's such a popular gift.
Can I use less ghee?
Some ghee is needed for the texture, but you can pour off the excess once it separates and reuse it for cooking.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 260
- Protein
- 5 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
