Pear halwa, pear pudding, or whatever you want to call it, is going to be your favourite way to enjoy a quick dessert. This pear halwa legit tastes like a traditional Indian dessert but is based on fruit! It comes together in little to no time, and uses very few ingredients like ripe pears, cardamom, dried fruit and nuts, brown sugar, some plant milk, and saffron if you are feeling fancy!
How to make Pear Halwa?
I used ripe pears but you can actually use substitutes like apples, even carrots (in which case you will want to bump up the sugar).
The steps are very simple:
- Start by adding the saffron strands to 1/4 cup warm milk and set aside. This helps bloom the saffron strands and extracts the flavour.
- Wash the pears and grate them. You can choose to keep the skin on or peel them. I don’t really mind the skin and if your pear is ripe enough, you won’t notice it at all.
- Add the grated pear to a heavy bottom pan and turn on the heat. Let the pear cook on medium to low heat until they turn soft and brown, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add brown sugar, a pinch of salt, crushed cardamom, and the saffron-infused milk to this and mix well. When the right consistency is achieved, turn off the heat and set aside.
- In a small pan, heat up the vegan ghee/oil to it on medium to low heat and add the nuts and raisins to it. Let it get golden brown, be careful not to burn it.
- Add it immediately to the pear halwa in the other pan and mix well.
Melt dark chocolate in a separate microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or on a double boiler on the stove.
Serve the pear halwa in cute bowls and pour the melted chocolate on top.
- You can also chill the pear halwa and melt and pour the chocolate right before serving!
I would be so excited if you give this recipe a go! It’s light on your stomach and honestly just tastes pretty damn good! Comment below if you give it a try 😉
Here are other delicious Indian desserts for you to try:
- Vegan Pal Payasam – Rice Pudding
- Vegan Gulab Jamun
- Vegan Kulfi – Indian Ice Cream
- Healthy Vegan Laddoos
- Vegan Ela Ada | The Best Healthy South Indian Dessert
Vegan Pear Halwa
Equipment
- 1 Grater
- 1 Pan
- 1 Mini pan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Measure spoons
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 4 pears ripe or semi-ripe
- 1-2 tbsp brown sugar depending on your sweet tooth
- 4-5 cardamom pods shelled and crushed
- 4-5 strands saffron optional
- 1/4 cup plant milk of choice warm, I used soy milk
- 1 tbsp Vegan ghee or neutral oil
- 6-7 almonds
- 6-7 cashews
- 7-8 raisins
- Dark chocolate melted
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the saffron strands to 1/4 cup warm milk and set aside. This helps bloom the saffron strands and extracts the flavour.
- Wash the pears and grate them. You can choose to keep the skin on or peel them. I don’t really mind the skin and if your pear is ripe enough, you won’t notice it at all.
- Add the grated pear to a heavy bottom pan and turn on the heat. Let the pear cook on medium to low heat until they turn soft and brown, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add brown sugar, a pinch of salt, crushed cardamom, and the saffron-infused milk to this and mix well. When the right consistency is achieved, turn off the heat and set aside.
- In a small pan, heat up the vegan ghee/oil to it on medium to low heat and add the nuts and raisins to it. Let it get golden brown, be careful not to burn it.
- Add it immediately to the pear halwa in the other pan and mix well.
- Melt dark chocolate in a separate microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or on a double boiler on the stove.
- Serve the pear halwa in cute bowls and pour the melted chocolate on top.
- You can also chill the pear halwa and melt and pour the chocolate right before serving!
Notes
Nutrition
Introducing you to Indian Dim sums or Momos. MoMos are bite-sized delicacies made with spoonfuls of stuffing wrapped in dumpling wrappers. One can serve these vegetable Momos with a variety of side sauces including red chilli chutney, ketchup, and mayonnaise as well. I am sure you might have come across variations of this dish at least once in your life in the form of dumplings, dim sums or even Gyozas. These little pockets of treats belong to the dumpling lineage and are a big hit in many South Asian Countries.
Origin Of MoMos
Momos are native to the Tibetan and Nepalese regions and were brought to India in the 20th Century. They are Nepalese or Tibetan versions of dim sums but can also be classified as a dumpling. People fill MoMos with either meat or vegetables. Due to their popularity, these flavourful dumplings now have a place in almost every Indian’s heart and are here to stay. And I hope this recipe makes its way to your heart as well.
What is a MoMo?
MoMos or Nepalese/Tibetan/Indian dim sums can occasionally be fried or steam-fried, but they are mostly steamed. The idea is to pack all the ingredients and flavourful broth into the wrappers, and steamed, fried, or steam-fried. It is filled with all kinds of fillings including meat, veggies, tofu, or even mock meat for those who want a vegan option. Momos are generally street food, sold in momo kiosks or carts, while fresh momos are steamed and served with a side of red chilly garlic chutney.
MoMos in India
One big misconception that runs around in India is that the East Indian states or the Chinese introduced MoMos to India. This is absolutely false. Momos are thought to have arrived in India during the 1960s, during a time when many Tibetan immigrants were moving to Indian regions like Ladakh, Darjeeling, Dharamshala, Sikkim, and Delhi. All of these places have now popularized the consumption of momos by mass-producing variations of momos including steamed, fried, steam-fried, tandoori momos, chocolate momos, and so on.
In this recipe I am going to show how you can make these yummy vegetable momos in your kitchen with a few simple, no-nonsense steps. Let’s clear out a few things, first.
Is it Momo or Dumpling or Dim sums?
To make things simple for you, think of dumplings as the mother and all the other variations as the little babies including momos and dim sums. Depending on the region, Dim sums are native to the Cantonese region of China, and a Nepalese or Tibetan adaptation of the same is called a Momo. Dumplings are wheat-based appetisers with multiple fillings or none at all. As a result, Indian Samosas, Italian gnocchi, stuffed ravioli or even YOU will classify as a dumpling. 😛 Branching from the same family history, momos are predominantly of maida (all-purpose flour) and wheat flour, while dim sums can be cooked with any type of flour, including rice, potato starch, and corn starch.
Now that we know a little bit about the history of Momos, let’s jump right into the recipe.
How to make Vegetable Momos and Red Chilli chutney ?
Vegetable Stuffing
- Start by chopping the vegetables (processing them in a food processor until finely chopped). You can also use crumbled tofu or any mock meat of your choice as a filling.
- In a pan heat oil, and add finely chopped garlic and minced ginger. Sauté for 2 to 3 seconds on medium-low heat. Add spring onion whites and sauté for half a minute, then add all the finely chopped vegetables.
- Stir fry the vegetables on a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.. Then add soy sauce, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Switch off the flame and add the spring onions/scallion greens. Mix well.
Making the momos
- Apply some water along the rim of the dumpling wrapper. Place 2 or 3 tsp of vegetable stuffing in the center of a dumpling wrapper, then pleat and close up the dumplings.
- Prepare all momos this way and keep them covered under a moist paper towel or napkin, so they don’t dry out until you are ready to steam.
- In a greased steamer steam the momos for about 5-6 minutes. When you touch the momo the dough should not feel sticky and be kind of translucent
Spicy red chutney
- Drop the red chillies and tomatoes in boiling water and cook for about 8 minutes to blanch the tomatoes and rehydrate the red chillies. Once blanched and cooled, remove the skins of the tomatoes carefully.
- Add red chillies, garlic, tomatoes, oil, salt, sugar and soy sauce (roughly chopped if required) to a blender and blend smooth. Serve with hot momos.
And that’s how simple it can get. I created a video for this recipe over on my Instagram in collaboration with Em from MyriadRecipes . Go check out her work as well!
So, give this recipe a try and let me know how you liked the Momos or the Spicy chutney. I would love to see you try it out. Much love <3
Also, check out my other steamed dishes:
- Khaman Dhokla – Steam gram flour cakes
- Idli – steamed rice cakes
- Vegan Ela Ada – Kerala delicacy
Fried Momos and Spicy Chutney
Ingredients1x2x3x
Momo Wrapper
- 1 pack Store-bought or homemade dumpling wrappers
Momo Filling
- 1 tbsp Oil to saute vegetables
- 2 stalks Spring onions/scallions finely chopped. Save some of the greens for garnishing
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp Ginger minced
- 1.5 cup Finely chopped veggies suggestions: cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, beans, crumbled tofu
- 1 tsp Soy sauce or add as requried
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- salt to taste
Spicy chutney
- 8 Dry red chillis
- 5 Garlic cloves
- 3 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Soy sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2-3 Tomatoes 2 if large, 3 if medium
- 3 tsp Sugar
Instructions
Vegetable stuffing
- Chop the vegetables by knife or processing them in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Make sure the vegetables are coarsely chopped and not minced.
- In a pan heat oil, and add finely chopped garlic and minced ginger. Sauté for 2 to 3 seconds on medium-low heat.
- Add spring onion whites and sauté for half a minute, then add all the finely chopped vegetables.
- Stir fry the vegetables on a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until soft.
- Add soy sauce, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
- Switch off the flame and top it off with the spring onions/scallion greens. Mix well.
- Set the stuffing aside until it cools completely.
Making the momos
- Place 2 or 3 tsp of vegetable stuffing in the center of a dumpling wrapper.
- Pleat and close up the dumplings.
- Prepare all momos this way and keep them covered under a moist paper towel or napkin, so they don’t dry out until you are ready to steam.
- At this point you can decide to whether fry them, or steam them or steam and fry as well.
- If you are stemaing the momos: then in a greased steamer steam the momos for about 5-6 minutes. if they turn translucent then the momos are done.
- For Fried: Drop the wrapped momos in hot oil and fry until golden and crispy. Serve with a spicy garlic momo chutney.
Spicy red chutney
- Drop the red chillies and tomatoes in boiling water and cook for about 8 minutes to blanch the tomatoes and rehydrate the red chillies.
- Once blanched and cooled, remove the skins of the tomatoes carefully. Add all ingredients, roughly chopped if required, to a blender and blend smooth.
Nutrition
This easy Samosa is an extremely popular Indian deep-fried appetizer with spiced potatoes. Samosa originates from the Middle East and has different variations across the Middle East, South Asian, and East Asian countries. This is an easy samosa recipe with a step-by-step guide and photos of the Samosa-folding technique. Pair these samosas with my tamarind chutney and mint-coriander chutney , maybe even a hot cup of Chai , and enjoy your self-made mini-heaven!
Inspiration for Samosa
I am a samosa lover, have been enjoying it since childhood and I seriously could eat it all day. The traditional recipe calls for frying which tastes amazing, but I also have an oven-baked version for those who prefer to avoid fried foods. I also sometimes like to add a sprinkle of protein magic (read crumbled tofu) to raise the satiety factor. Basically, I have a samosa for every occasion, from an indulgent snack to a full meal! Are you convinced I’m obsessed with it yet? All versions taste amazing!
How to make Samosa filling?
- Boil the potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover them. Then, peel and mash the potatoes.
- In a frying pan, heat up oil on medium heat.
- Add the whole coriander seeds and fennel seeds and fry until they turn golden and fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Add chopped green chilies to this, fry for a few seconds then, reduce the heat and add the cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and mix.
- Add the frozen/fresh peas and let it cook with the spices for 4-5 minutes, then add amchur powder.
- Add boiled potatoes, and crushed tofu (if using). Season with salt, mix well and take it off the heat.
- Add chopped coriander leaves, mix that in and set the filling aside.
How to shape a samosa?
Shaping a samosa is not the easiest, but also not the hardest “dumpling” to shape. It doesn’t need special skills but does require you to be careful and seal it properly.
Start by making the samosa wrapper dough. Mix together flour, salt, ajwain (carrot seeds) and then add oil to this mix and let the oil coat the flour mix.
Then slowly add water to the mix and form a pliable dough.
Shaping the samosas:
- Divide the dough into 12-16 equal parts and roll the dough into an oval shape, now cut it horizontally, dividing it into 2 equal parts using a dough divider.
- Fold the straight edge and seal to form a cone. Now stuff 2 tsp of the samosa filling into the cone. Bring the bottom of the wrapper to the top and fold the excess dough in the middle and seal the samosa tight by firmly pressing it between your fingers.
- Bring up frying oil to heat in a deep frying pan.
- Fry the samosas on a low flame and stir occasionally for at least 15 minutes.
- Once the samosas turn golden and crispy, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon.
- Place them in a bowl lined with paper towels and drain the excess oil.
- Samosa are now ready to be enjoyed with green chutney and tamarind chutney!
Once shaped, fry the samosas in hot oil on low-medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until they turn crispy and golden brown. Serve with hot tamarind chutney and mint-coriander chutney !
Can I bake samosas in the oven?
Good news! You can very well achieve crispy and delicious samosas without frying.
-Pre-heat the oven to 200 C or 400 F.
-Place the shaped samosas on a lined baking tray.
-Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
I am so excited for you to try the samosa and if you do, please do leave me a comment down below or send me a message over at @beextravegant !
Other Indian street foods for you to try:
- Fried MoMos and spicy chutney
- Easy Pav Bhaji: mashed vegetable mash
- Dahi Vada with Dum Aloo
- Healthy Boiled Peanut Salad
Easy Samosa Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Measure spoons
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Cooking pan
Ingredients1x2x3x
Samosa filling:
- 4-5 Potatoes boiled and peeled
- ½ block Tofu optional
- 1 tsp Whole coriander seeds
- 1 tsp Whole fennel seeds
- 2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 2-3 Green chilli peppers chopped
- 1-2 tsp Red chilli powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 2 tsp Aamchur powder (dried mango powder)
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup Frozen or fresh peas
- 1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
For the dough:
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 1½ tsp Ajwain
- Salt to taste
- ⅓ cup Oil/ghee
- Water as needed
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Samosa filling:
- Boil the potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover them. Then, peel and mash the potatoes.
- In a frying pan, heat up oil on medium heat.
- Add the whole coriander seeds and fennel seeds and fry until they turn golden and fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Add chopped green chilies to this, fry for a few seconds then, reduce the heat and add the cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and mix.
- Add the frozen/fresh peas and let it cook with the spices for 4-5 minutes, then add amchur powder.
- Add boiled potatoes, and crushed tofu (if using). Season with salt, mix well and take it off the heat.
- Add chopped coriander leaves, mix that in and set the filling aside.
Dough
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and ajwain/carrom seeds.
- Then add the oil slowly and incorporate that into the flour by mixing and rubbing the mix between your hands. The flour should be well coated with oil and when you press the crumbly flour mix between your fingers, it should hold together.
- Gradually add water 2 tbsp at a time, adding more if required and mix it well until you form a pliable dough.
Shaping the samosas:
- Divide the dough into 12-16 equal parts and roll the dough into an oval shape, now cut it horizontally, dividing into 2 equal parts using a dough-divider.
- Fold the straight edge and seal to form a a cone. Now stuff 2 tsp of the samosa filling into the cone. Bring the bottom of the wrapper to the top and fold the excess dough in the middle and seal the samosa tight by firmly pressing it between your fingers.
- Bring up frying oil to heat in a deep frying pan.
- Fry the samosas on a low flame and stir occasionally for at least 15 minutes.
- Once the samosas turn golden and crispy, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon.
- Place them in a bowl lined with paper towels and drain the excess oil.
Baked Samosas:
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Place the shaped samosas on a lined baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Samosa are now ready to be enjoyed with green chutney and tamarind chutney!
Nutrition
Vegan Pear Halwa
Equipment
- 1 Grater
- 1 Pan
- 1 Mini pan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Measure spoons
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 4 pears ripe or semi-ripe
- 1-2 tbsp brown sugar depending on your sweet tooth
- 4-5 cardamom pods shelled and crushed
- 4-5 strands saffron optional
- 1/4 cup plant milk of choice warm, I used soy milk
- 1 tbsp Vegan ghee or neutral oil
- 6-7 almonds
- 6-7 cashews
- 7-8 raisins
- Dark chocolate melted
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the saffron strands to 1/4 cup warm milk and set aside. This helps bloom the saffron strands and extracts the flavour.
- Wash the pears and grate them. You can choose to keep the skin on or peel them. I don’t really mind the skin and if your pear is ripe enough, you won’t notice it at all.
- Add the grated pear to a heavy bottom pan and turn on the heat. Let the pear cook on medium to low heat until they turn soft and brown, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add brown sugar, a pinch of salt, crushed cardamom, and the saffron-infused milk to this and mix well. When the right consistency is achieved, turn off the heat and set aside.
- In a small pan, heat up the vegan ghee/oil to it on medium to low heat and add the nuts and raisins to it. Let it get golden brown, be careful not to burn it.
- Add it immediately to the pear halwa in the other pan and mix well.
- Melt dark chocolate in a separate microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or on a double boiler on the stove.
- Serve the pear halwa in cute bowls and pour the melted chocolate on top.
- You can also chill the pear halwa and melt and pour the chocolate right before serving!
