Microwave Mango Halwa

Hello everyone, it's good to be back blogging. Hope you all had a good summer and soaked in all the sun. We had a great vacation at home and the kids had a blast with grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins and my daughter was particularly thrilled to visit the beach.

Talking of India, i missed the mango season but had lots of my favorite 'Naturo' - an awesome snack made of mangoes (similar to fruit leather found in the US). It is sweet with a slight tang and I couldn't get enough of it as a kid... infact I still love it just as much. Now, my daughter loves it too. Dreaming of Naturo... i made this Mango Sweet, inspired by this fabulous picture, using store bought, canned mango pulp. It took a long time in the microwave but the end result was close to naturo and the texture was exactly what I was looking for. Onto the recipe...

MICROWAVE MANGO HALWA

Ingredients:
Canned Mango Pulp (found in Indian stores) - about 2 to 2.5 cups
Sugar - about half cup to 1 cup (depending on how sweet you want it)
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

1) Combine mango pulp and sugar in a big, microwaveable bowl and microwave it in 5 minute intervals (with a lid to avoid splatter). Stirring every 5 mins. Do this about 5 to 6 times.

2) Once the mixture thickens considerably, reduce cooking time to 2 to 3 minute intervals (this is trial and error) and continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes, add ghee at this point, until the mixture is almost comes together.

3) Transfer this to a plate greased with ghee, smooth out the top with a flat ladle that has also been coated with ghee. Allow to cool before cutting into cubes. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to cut perfect squares. Enjoy.