Gosht Ka Halwa: Try This Forgotten Mughlai Delicacy For Winter Indulgence

If we delve deep into the history of Indian cuisine, we are sure to find millions of lost recipes that are not in the limelight anymore. With the long history of colonizers leaving a culinary insignia in the country, Indian cuisine is filled with dishes from different cuisines. However, if we look at this amalgam of cuisines in India, it is quite evident that Mughlai cuisine is one of the most loved and enjoyed cuisines in India. Having ruled India for almost 350 years, the Mughals modified and mingled their culinary preferences with the Indian cuisine to make it suitable for their palate. And this amalgamation gave rise to some of the most loved dishes of India today. From the scrumptious and succulent kebabs to delicious Shahi Tukda, Mughlai cuisine has a bucket load of India’s most moreish delicacies. However, over time, some of these delicacies are lost in the pages of history. And the food we are going to talk about today is one of the most famous Mughlai foods of India. 

Gosht ka halwa is a Mughlai delicacy that is made with meat. My first tryst with Gosht ka halwa happened during a conversation with one of my friends in Delhi when he mentioned that his hometown-Rampur is full of delicious yet quirky Mughlai delicacies. The town of Rampur still has lineages of the Mughal Khaansamas who preserve their traditional exclusive signature Mughlai dishes. Along with popular Mughlai dishes like qorma and halwa, the town also has a range of quirky, unusual and delicious halwas that are a gift of the Mughals. Sensing my fondness for meat, he mentioned that Rampur has a treasured halwa that is long lost in the pages of history. Unable to resist, I asked his mother for the recipe and this is what I received- 

Ingredients 

• 1 kg pounded mutton 

• 4 tbsp ghee 

• 1 litre milk 

• 200 grams mawa 

• 120 grams sugar 

• 1 tsp cardamom powder 

• 1 tsp rose water 

• 1 pinch saffron 

• Varq 

Method 

  • Add milk to a vessel along with half a teaspoon of cardamom powder and heat it. 
  • Wash the mutton under running water several times to eliminate the meat smell. 
  • Add the washed mutton pieces to the meat and cardamom mixture and cook until the milk is reduced to half. 
  • Strain the cooked mutton and pass it through a sieve. 
  • In a deep-bottomed kadai, add desi ghee and the strained mutton and cook till it’s light brown in colour. 
  • Once it attains the right colour, add sugar, cardamom powder and rose water to it and cook for 5-10 more minutes. 
  • Finally, add khoya and nuts to the halwa and cook till ghee separates. 
  • Turn off the flame and transfer the halwa to a bowl. Garnish with nuts, saffron and varq before serving. 

We think this halwa recipe is all you need to keep yourself warm. Try it out and let us know how it turned out.