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Pakistani · Punjabi

Halwa puri

Vegetarian

حلوہ پوری · halwa puri

Pakistan's favourite weekend breakfast: puffed fried puris served with sweet, ghee-rich semolina halwa, usually alongside spicy chickpeas.

Halwa puri is a Pakistani bread, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and semolina. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Rest
20 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
721

Ingredients

4 servings

Puri

Halwa

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour, semolina (opens in a new tab), salt and 1 tbsp oil, then add the water gradually and knead to a stiff, smooth dough. Cover and rest.

    • 5 min
    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    For the halwa, heat the ghee (opens in a new tab) in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) and roast the semolina (opens in a new tab) with the cardamom (opens in a new tab), stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. Meanwhile warm the water with the sugar (opens in a new tab) until dissolved.

  3. Step 3

    Pour the hot syrup into the semolina (opens in a new tab), standing back as it splutters. Stir until it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan, then cover and keep warm. Garnish with almonds (opens in a new tab).

    • 5 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: The mixture spits violently when the syrup goes in — use a long spoon.

  4. Step 4

    Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll each into a 12 cm round. Heat the frying oil to 190 °C.

  5. Step 5

    Fry the puris one at a time, pressing gently with a slotted spoon so they puff, turning once, until golden. Drain and serve hot with the halwa.

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Slide each puri into the oil away from you and never leave hot oil unattended.

    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainA breakfast combination eaten across Pakistan and North India; especially associated with Lahore's weekend breakfast culture.Also popular in Pakistan, India
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Breads & flatbreads · Desserts
Cooking method
Deep-fried, Pan-fried
Taste
sweet, buttery, aromatic / warmly spiced, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Without the optional extras: No nut ingredientsWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
All-purpose flour · Semolina · Ghee · Sugar · Cardamom
Techniques
Pan-frying · Deep-frying · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee
  • Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom almonds
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, semolina
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, semolina

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

721 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 266 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 51%
  • Fat 44%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy721 kcal271 kcal
Protein9.4 g3.5 g
Carbohydrate92 g34.6 g
Net carbohydrate89.4 g33.6 g
Sugars——
Added sugars30 g11.3 g
Fibre2.7 g1 g
Fat35.4 g13.3 g
Saturated fat13.6 g5.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol51 mg19 mg
Sodium296 mg111 mg
Salt equivalent0.7 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
118 mg
Calcium
27 mg
Iron
3.8 mg
Magnesium
29 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
168 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
231 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: almonds.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • If the puris don't puff, the oil isn't hot enough or the dough is too soft.

Common mistakes

  • Under-roasting the semolina gives a pasty, raw-tasting halwa.

Serve with

  • Serve with chana masala or aloo tarkari, pickle and a cup of chai.

Storage

  • Halwa keeps refrigerated for 3 days; puris are best fresh.

Reheating

  • Warm halwa with a splash of water, stirring.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Halwa

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 35 min

    Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

  2. Rest · about 20 min

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 10 min

    Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

  4. Start to finish: about 1 h 5 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
All-purpose flourFlour200 g60.5%
SemolinaFlour131 g39.5%
WaterWater470 g142.2%
SugarSugar120 g36.3%
GheeFat80 g24.2%
Neutral vegetable oilFat14 g4.1%
SaltSalt3 g0.9%
CardamomOther1 g0.2%
Total flour
330 g
Hydration
142.2%
With milk, eggs…
142.2%
Wholegrain
0%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Wet dough (over 75%) — sticky; use wet hands and folds instead of kneading. Ciabatta, focaccia and open sourdough.
  • Salt 0.9% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
  • Sugar 36.3% — an enriched, sweet dough; rises more slowly and browns quickly.
  • Fat 28.3% — a rich, tender dough.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Tough or chewy flatbread

    Likely causes

    • Dough too stiff
    • Not rested
    • Cooked too slowly on too cool a pan

    What to do

    • Add water until the dough is soft and slightly tacky
    • Rest 20–30 minutes covered so the gluten relaxes
    • Cook on a very hot tawa or pan — quickly

Reviews & corrections

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