Apple in halwa? Mumbai nutritionist shares healthy festive dessert recipe with only 180 calories per serve

The festive season demands sweets. The melt-in-the-mouth bite of a ghee-soaked laddoo or the crunchy delight of sugar-coated jalebis transports us to cloud 9, especially sweet tooths. But with the uncontrolled indulgence in calorie-dense sweets loaded with sugar and fat, festive cheer can often come with an unwanted nutritional burden. That doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to mithais. Mumbai nutritionist Vanshika Khurana recently dropped a video on Instagram, sharing the healthy and homemade recipe of creamy halwa, with only 180 calories per serving. Would you believe it has apples?

Halwa: Ingredients required

Makes 5 small servings

3/4th cup of sooji


1 apple

5-6 dates. You can also replace it with a zero-calorie sweetener, says Vanshika Khurama

1 tbsp of ghee

Nuts like Raisins, Almonds, Cashews

2 cups of water

Halwa: How to make

To prepare the halwa, first, the suji is dry-roasted in a pan over medium heat until it changes colour and turns lightly brown. This helps bring out its nutty aroma and gives the halwa a richer flavour. Meanwhile, 5–6 dates are soaked in hot water for around 10 minutes to soften them. More dates can be used if a sweeter halwa is preferred. Alternatively, a zero-calorie sweetener can be added according to taste.

Next, the chopped apple is cooked in 1 teaspoon of ghee until it becomes soft and mushy. Once cooked, the apple is blended with a little water and the soaked dates to make a smooth purée.

In the same pan, ½ tablespoon of ghee is added along with the chopped nuts and roasted suji. The mixture is sautéed for about two minutes, allowing the nuts to become aromatic. Two cups of boiling water are then added along with the apple-date purée.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vanshika Khurana (@fit.khurana)

The mixture is stirred continuously and quickly to prevent lumps from forming. It is cooked for another 3–4 minutes, or until the suji absorbs the liquid and the halwa reaches a soft, smooth consistency. It can then be served warm, with additional chopped nuts if desired.