Andé Ka Halwa

Egg Fudge

SERVES 4–6

Indian culture for me is three generations living under one roof with love, understanding and in harmony. Everyone, old and young, shares their happiness, grief, tribulations and successes. And it is the women of the family who hold this bond tightly together in their able hands.

One such woman is Salma Shazia Fatima, the runner-up of MasterChef India. In spite of being a strong-willed and successful businesswoman, Shazia is very down-to-earth and family-oriented. And the thing that really floored me was her relationship with her mother-in-law. Their love for each other is so great that at the tasting table, Shazia’s mother-in-law took one look at the dish and recognized it as Shazia’s—without even tasting it!

This recipe is my tribute to all those women who, like Shazia, are role models for modern India. This is Shazia’s recipe for andé ka halwa (egg halwa) and it’s her mother-in-law’s favourite dish.

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp saffron, lightly roasted over very low heat

½ cup almonds, lightly roasted

250 g khoya/mawa, grated

1 cup sugar

6 eggs

¾ cup clarified butter

METHOD

In a grinder, combine saffron and almonds and grind to make a coarse powder. In another mixing bowl, combine khoya with sugar and stir till sugar dissolves completely. Do not cook the mixture. Preheat oven to 230°C and grease a baking tray. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs till very light and frothy. Fold in the sweetened khoya and saffron–almond powder. Add clarified butter and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into the greased baking tray and bake for 30–35 minutes or till the surface is golden and a wooden skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool. Cut into pieces and serve.