Thirunelveli Halwa (Wheat Halwa)

Ingredients:

Broken Wheat	1 cup
Sugar	2 cups (approximately)
Ghee	1 cup
Lemon juice	1 tsp
Red food colour	2 pinch (optional)
Cashew	few broken
Cardamom powder	2 pinch (optional)

For Caramel

Sugar	¼ cup
Water	2 tbsp

Method:

Preparation of wheat milk:

1. Grind broken wheat into coarse (big rava texture. Do it in pulse mode). Then soak with 3 cups of water for 8 hrs (maybe over night). Then squeeze the soaked wheat and collect only the milky water into a big vessel. Again pour some water and squeeze and collect the water. Repeat the process till the water poured into the wheat appears clear. 
2. Then place a muslin cloth over a strainer (can use big cloth filter instead) and strain the collected milky water to remove residue. Keep this filtered milky water undisturbed for 5-6 hrs. This process is for fermentation as well as to collect the pure milk which settles at the bottom of the vessel. 
3. After 5-6 hrs the white milk settles at the bottom and top water appears clear. Now gently discard the clear water without disturbing the milk which has been settled at the bottom. Now measure the pure milk in a cup. Double the quantity of sugar is required. 
4. (i.e. for 1 cup of milk, 2 cups of sugar needed). Keep the measured sugar aside. Add 2 cups of water to 1 cup of milk and mix well. Keep aside. 

Preparation of Caramel:

Add sugar and 2 tbsp of water into a thick bottomed vessel. Heat in low flame till sugar melts and turns into light golden colour. Switch off the flame and add 1/4 cup of hot water carefully (add little by little). Mix well till it dissolves completely (can heat again to dissolve). Keep aside. 

Preparation of Halwa:

1. In a thick bottomed kadai, pour the wheat milk-water mixture and add sugar. Place over the heat and keep mixing till sugar dissolves. Now add caramel water, lemon juice and colour if using. Stir continuously till it turns into a thick mass like. Add broken cashew and cardamom powder if using (generally in this halwa cardamom is not used). Now add 2 tbsp of ghee and stir till it absorbs. Again add 2 tbsp of ghee and continue stirring. Repeat the process till all the ghee is used. 
2. Stir continuously till ghee starts showing on the sides. Take care not to burn. Adjust flame according to that. Continue stirring till the halwa leaves the kadai and easily flips. More ghee will start oozing out. When lifted, halwa will drop like flake. That is right stage to switch off the flame. 

1. If you wish, you can remove excess ghee. Do not remove the ghee completely. Halwa will become rubbery. The ghee will be absorbed once the halwa comes to normal temperature. Tasty and melt in mouth Thirunelveli Halwa is ready. 

Stays good for 1 week to 10 days at room temperature and 1 month in the fridge.