This is a quick version of the halva also popularly known as Bombay Karachi Halwa.
This is indeed a boon for those who need to make a sweet for Diwali and without slogging too much in the kitchen, particularly those who are away from home for long hours,this is a great recipe.

The best part is there is no need to check the consistency of the sugar syrup, unlike some traditional sweets where the syrup is tricky.This can be made even more quickly in the microwave. No sweat !.

This is such a handy sweet to prepare when guests drop in and you need a quick dessert. All the ingredients will be available in the kitchen pantry.

Now the recipe which is ridiculously easy.

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/4 cups cornflour

2. 1/1/4 cup sugar powdered

3. 1-2 drops of orange essence or kesar colour

4. 4 1/2 tbsp approx of melted ghee

5. 3/4 cup water.Just enough to dissolve the sugar cornflour mixture.

6. 10-15 finely slivered almonds or cashew nuts for garnishing, or Pistachios,finely chopped 

Method:

Dissolve cornflour and powdered sugar in three fourth cup of water. Add the orange essence also. Add some nuts also at this stage so that you will get nuts when you bite into the halva. Keep some for garnishing.

Keep it on a medium flame initially and then lower the flame as the mixture starts thickening.

Keep a tray greased and ready.

Reduce heat and stir continuously.

Cook till mixture is thickened and starts sticking. Reduce heat to low.

Now add a little melted ghee to it little by little and keep stirring.

Now to check if the mixture is ready, Take one teaspoon of mixture onto a plate, cool it and if it does not stick to the plate, remove pan from heat and pour onto a greased tray or plate.

Pour the thick shiny mass of halwa mixture on a greased plate and zap it in the fridge for quick cooling. Remember I mentioned Quick halva?
Garnish with remaining nuts by sprinkling on top or arranging on top.
Cut into desired shapes when completely cool.

The collage is explained as below .

Mixture of cornflour, orange essence, powdered sugar, all mixed well. this is my ready to make halwa mix , so i have already added main ingredients in the mix such as sugar, colour powder and some ghee fried nuts also . so making the halwa was faster .

Water in which the mixture is dissolved before keeping on the gas.

The halva mixture dissolved in water and added nuts, kept on a medium flame on the gas with some nuts already added and slowly stirred.

Within a few seconds you will notice the whole mixture thickening, keep stirring rapidly, best in a non stick pan. using a hand whisk.

The mixture keeps bubbling and getting more sticky and thick.

check the consistency of the halva misture by lifting the mixture with the whisk, it will keep sticking and not drop in the pan looking like a rubber , when it cools.
Getting even more thick.

Getting even more thick and shiny within minutes of cooking.

Remove from the gas and note how the whole mixture has almost come to one big solid mass but wobbly as it is still hot.

The halva mixture poured on a greased plate or square tray if you like with suitable depth . I did not have a square tray , so used a thick round plate.

Looking perfectly set but still hot, dont hurry up to cut, instead zap it in the fridge for rapid cooling.

Can keep looking at this shiny mixture glistening with cashew nuts garnished on top. Slivered almonds or pistachios also give a great look.

Remove from fridge and cut pieces when cooled. I hastened the process by cooling it quickly in the fridge.

Notes:

1. You can prepare this sweet by using sugar instead of powdered sugar also.by dissolving sugar fist and then adding to the cornflour mixture.In this case add the sugar syrup slowly to the cornflour mixture getting cooked. Remove from gas and add syrup slowly to the cooking cornflour.

2. If you prefer to make sugar syrup, go ahead by all means, but add a juice from a small lime to make sure the sugar syrup doesn't crystallize.

3. Keep hot ,melted ghee ready on the other burner and keep adding slowly.