Mudalur Muscoth Halwa

Muscoth Halwa, a centuries – old sweet of Sri Lanka made its way to the tiny village of Mudalur in the bustling coastal district of Thoothukudi in the 1950s. This traditional treat was accidently found by A. Joseph on one of his many trips to the island. So intrigued was he with its texture and taste, that he sought the recipe from the local sweet makers and brought it home.

Muscoth in Sinhalese means coconut milk and as the name suggests, this halwa is made from freshly extracted coconut milk, maida, sugar, cardamom, cashew powder and raisins.

The family of A. Joseph (SJ and AJJ) still prepare this sweet using the age – old recipe without the addition of any preservatives or artificial agents and have successfully managed to infuse modern machinery and technology to maximize their output.

The main ingredient for this delicious halwa is the freshly extracted coconut milk. Ghee or oil is not required as the coconut milk lends the required richness to the sweet. Usually, four cups of coconut milk is extracted from one coconut.

In large stainless – steel barrels, maida, sugar, cashew nuts (usually sourced from Panruti, Cuddalore District) and coconut milk are stirred for over two hours on low flame till it reaches the right consistency.

The halwa is transferred onto trays and allowed to cool for a few hours. It is then sliced as per requirement.

Some vendors also mix maida and water to make a stiff dough. Water is poured over it and it is set aside for a few minutes. The maida milk is extracted and the gluten is removed. It is strained and allowed to rest for a couple of hours. The top layer is discarded and the bottom layer is mixed along with coconut milk and sugar and heated on low flame till it thickens.

Sugar is caramelized and added to this mixture and stirred continuously till it reaches the right consistency. Cashew powder or cashew nuts are added and stirred for a few minutes.

The halwa is placed on trays and cooled for a few hours. It is important that the halwa is smooth in texture without any lumps.

This unique sweet has a glossy golden – brown colour and firm non – sticky texture and is light to taste.

Written by Lakshmi Subramanian