Xalwo
Xalwo is a Somali sweet made with corn starch, cardamom, sugar, and butter. It's popular in Somalia, especially at weddings, and is a sweet treat for everyone. Taking significantly less time to prepare and comes out as fun!
Ingredients:
5 cups water
5 cups granulated sugar1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup cornstarch + 1 cup water (to mix the cornstarch)
1 cup ghee
1 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon yellow food coloring
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1.5 tablespoons of ground nutmeg
Directions:
Use a deep pot, put on high heat, stir in granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 5 cups of water.
Combine cornstarch, 1 cup water, and food coloring in a mixing bowl.
Use a long wooden spoon to stir the cornstarch mixture into the sugar mixture, then stir in the butter and oil.
When the xalwo/halwad starts to boil, stir, then cover (to control splashing) and let cook for about 10 minutes.
Then, reduce the heat to medium and low and stir well for a few minutes.
After 40 minutes, add half of the ground spices and stir them together.
Remember to stir every 5 to 10 minutes to avoid lumps.
After 2 hours, try to remove the ghee and floating oil with a spatula.
After 20 to 30 minutes, add the remaining spices and stir well.
Remove extra oil/dairy.
Pour the xalwo/halwad into the greased casserole dish and spread.
Let cool for at least 20 minutes before using.
