Aoud No. 2 (Parsi Rice Flour and Coconut Halwa)

Aoud No. 2 (Parsi Rice Flour and Coconut Halwa)

A rich and aromatic Parsi sweet dish, Aoud is a dense, fudge-like halwa made from rice flour and coconut milk. This traditional recipe combines the nutty crunch of almonds with the tropical flavor of fresh coconut, perfumed with cardamom, nutmeg, and rose water. The mixture is slow-cooked until the ghee separates, resulting in a glossy, satisfying treat perfect for festive occasions.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound Rice flour (Use fine rice flour or freshly ground wet rice flour.)
  • 1/2 pound Sugar (Originally '1/2 seer'. Converted to approx 1/2 lb (approx 1 cup).)
  • 6 ounces Ghee (Originally '1.5 pasher'. Converted to approx 6 oz (approx 3/4 cup).)
  • 4 ounces Almonds (Originally '1/4 seer'. Converted to approx 4 oz.)
  • 1 whole Coconut (Fresh, ripe coconut.)
  • 8 cups Water (Estimated quantity to extract '4 seers' (approx 4 lbs/2 quarts) of coconut milk.)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Cardamom seeds (Coarsely crushed. Originally '1/2 tola'.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg (Finely crushed/grated. Originally '1/4 tola'.)
  • 2 tablespoons Rose water (Originally '6 small spoons'.)
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence (Originally '1 small spoon'.)

Instructions

  1. 1Blanch, peel, wash, and dry the almonds. Coarsely crush two-thirds of the almonds and slice the remaining one-third finely for garnishing.
  2. 2Grate the coconut. Add water gradually and squeeze the coconut meat to extract the milk. Repeat this process three times until you have collected a total of 4 seers (approximately 8 cups) of coconut milk. Strain through a clean cloth.
  3. 3Sieve the rice flour into a heavy-bottomed pan (traditionally a tin-lined vessel). Add the sugar and ghee. Gradually pour in the coconut milk while mixing to ensure there are absolutely no lumps.
  4. 4Place the pan on the stove over low heat. Stir continuously with a spoon without stopping. When the mixture begins to thicken, add the coarsely crushed almonds and continue stirring.
  5. 5Continue cooking and stirring until the ghee separates from the mixture and the Aoud becomes firm. Add the rose water, vanilla essence, cardamom, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly and remove from heat.
  6. 6Pour the mixture into the center of a tin-lined copper or bronze platter (or a modern greased tray). Flatten slightly with the bottom of a small bowl (kansi). Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top. Flatten to your desired thickness.
  7. 7Allow the Aoud to cool completely. Once set, cut into pieces and remove carefully with a spatula.
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