Halbai recipe | How to make halubai | Rice halwa recipe
By Latha on August 5th, 2016
Halbai or halubai recipe explained with step by step pictures and a video. Halbai is a kind of rice halwa or rice cake prepared using rice, jaggery and coconut. In this halu bai recipe little cucumber also added to get added flavour and taste. Halbai or halubai is a very healthy food and is generally prepared on Nagara panchami, a hindu festival. This type of Halbai is in practice across Udupi, Mangalore and Malnad region of Karnataka.
You can find one more tasty ragi halbai recipe on this website, which is prepared by soaking whole ragi.
This recipe is from my mother-in-law. She adds little cucumber and I like it that way. My mother also prepares halubai but it is without cucumber. So if you are interested in plain rice halbai, then refer the video, which I have embedded it below. This is a very healthy sweet recipe and very good for kids. My son loves this a lot. Generally sweets are either loaded with sugar or loaded with high calorie or prepared using maida or deep fried. But these kind of sweets are prepared using rice, jaggery and very little ghee. So one can enjoy this rice halwa without any hesitation.
This is a very easy recipe but stirring is a bit tiresome. You will have to put little extra strength to stir or mix when it becomes thick mass. I have posted many Karnataka style sweet recipes like roasted gram laddu, carrot halwa, rava kesari bath, banana halwa, coconut burfi and badam puri recipes. Also I have posted one easy and quick peda recipe for kids. Do read, try and enjoy. Have a lovely weekend!!
I have made a video on this halbai recipe with Kannada narration, which I have embedded it below. Kindly have a look.
Preparation time: 4 hours
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)
- 1 cup dosa rice or any raw rice
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber pieces (optional)
- 1 cup jaggery (can vary depending on your taste)
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 3 cups water (includes the water used for grinding)
- 1/4 tsp of salt
Instructions for making halbai or halubai:
- Rinse the soak the rice for 2 - 3 hours.
- Drain the water and grind it along with chopped cucumber and grated coconut. Use required water and grind until fine batter.
- Pour the batter into a thick bottomed wok or pan. Add in the remaining water. The batter should be of thin flowing consistency like neer dosa batter.
- Add in jaggery and salt.
- Now before proceeding grease a big plate or tray with ghee and keep it ready.
- Keep the pan on the stove top and cook the batter until you get a thick mass by stirring continuously. When it becomes thick add in 2 tbsp of ghee and continue cooking or mixing under medium flame by stirring continuously.
- From now onwards stirring will be little difficult but do not give up. You get yummy rice halwa at the end. After around 10 minutes you can see the halbai will start leaving the pan. At this stage it is done. switch off the stove.
- Pour the hot halbai or halwa onto the greased plate. My mother will put it on a wide banana leaf.
- Take a spoon or a piece of banana leaf greased with ghee and flatten the halbai or halwa.
- Once it is warm cut it into big pieces and serve.
Dear reader, We have a Kannada version of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.
Dear Reader,
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