Lachko (Whole Wheat Halwa)

How Does It Taste?

Lachko's taste is similar to atta halwa. However, it has a fuller bite and nutty flavor due to the use of whole wheat and a more earthy taste of jaggery. If you like atta sweets like Malida or sooji, you’ll likely love it.

It is somewhat of an acquired taste; however, the simple halwa tastes amazing on the occasion of Pehli raat (the first night of the new Hijri year). It is served warm or hot, garnished with desiccated coconut or coconut shavings.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this easy Lachko Halwa.

• Pearled Wheat: Pearled wheat is a whole wheat kernel with its outer bran removed, making it cook faster and have a softer texture. Find it in health food stores, the grain section of larger supermarkets, or easily online. Do not substitute pearled wheat with wheatberries.
• Jaggery: Ensure the jaggery is powdered well for easy dissolving. Taking jaggery in equal volume as raw wheat works best. You can always adjust to personal sweet preference.
• Ghee: Use ghee, not oil, for this recipe. If using malai, use less ghee.
• Cardamom Powder: I used freshly toasted ground cardamom. Cracked cardamom can work too.
• Cream: You can use fresh malai or cream to make the texture smoother and improve the taste.
• Desiccated Coconut: Choose fresh, good-smelling coconut.
• Nuts to Garnish: Nuts are optional, and you can use any you have on hand, like almonds, cashews, or pistachios.

How To Make It?

Preparing Wheat

1. Soak overnight or for 4 hours in hot water. 
2. Discard the water and transfer the wheat to a blender. Add water and blend for 30 seconds. (Protip: Just crack soaked wheat in a blender. )
3. Transfer blended wheat to a pot. Add 1 tablespoon ghee and bring it to a boil for 3-5 minutes.
4. The wheat will thicken immediately, keep stirring. Now reduce heat to the lowest, cover, and continue to cook another five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Preparing Lacko Halwa

5. Heat the remaining ghee and roast cardamom, semolina, and atta flour. Sizzle for 1 minute until toasted. Add jaggery and cook on high heat until jaggery is melted. 
6. Remove from heat and add ground nuts, desiccated coconut, and cream.  Stir it.  
7. Add cooked wheat and bring it back to the stove. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes until the halwa comes together into a ball and leaves ghee on the sides of the pan. Cover and let it rest for a few minutes. The halwa will release more ghee. 
8. Serve hot, garnished with roasted nuts and coconut. 

Expert Tips

• Don’t overground wheat while crushing in any processor. We want to break wheat, that’s it. Do not grind it into a smooth paste.  
• The texture: We want a mushy, sticky, and grainy texture of cooked wheat. I prefer grinding soaked wheat because it is cold and not sticky, and hence easy to handle. 
• Wheat Grinding: You can blend the mixture an immersion blender after cooking to break wheat pearls. You can also use the traditional Haleem grinding tool. Some versions skip grinding altogether and cook it in a pressure cooker for ver soft wheat.
• Too oily: Sometimes, Halwa releases too much ghee after cooking. Just gather the Halwa on one side of the pot and raise that side. The ghee will gather on the lower side. Remove extra ghee and reuse it on Roti or other foods. 

Variation

• If you want to make it taste richer, add extra fresh cream or Malai along with wheat. Use less ghee in the beginning. 
• If Pearl wheat is not available, use burglar. Do not grind, and the cooking time will be less. Do not overcook. 2 hours of soaking in room temperature water is enough for bulgar wheat.