12 December, 2014
Apricot-Orange halwa or fudge (gluten-free, vegan)
I’m so excited to be participating in the Virtual Vegan Potluck,a yearly online party for vegan-friendly bloggers. This is their 5th Potluck party and the first one for me! Annie, the blogger at An Unrefined Vegan organizes this event and my entry is in the Desserts category. Do check out the other entries using the links given at the end of this post.
Orange is a featured ingredient for this event, and I chose to use it in my dessert. So here’s a novel fudge or Indian halwa using whole orange in it! Traditional halwa is a decadent dessert made with a lot of sugar and milk with a chunk of ghee. I have used coconut oil in place of ghee. The resulting halwa has a sweetness from apricots and the orange lends a tangy taste. My friends loved it when I served this to them; hope you make some too!
Also sharing this at Fiesta Friday #46. At this week’s party Angie is joined by co-hosts Margy of La Petite Casserole and Juju of Cooking with aunt Juju. Check the link for lovely food ideas!
Apricot-Orange halwa/fudge
Ingredients:
whole cashews- 2/3 cup
dried apricots- 18
orange- 3/4 of Navel orange (or 1 full Mandarin orange)
almond milk- 1/4 cup
coconut oil- 3 tbsp. (use expeller-pressed or Spectrum brand to avoid smell of oil, or use ghee)
oat flour- 2 tbsp. (coconut flour can be used for a less chewy consistency)
raw sugar- 2/3 cup
raisins- for garnish
cardamom powder- a pinch (optional)
Method:
1. Soak cashews for 3-4 hours. Drain water.
2. Soak dried apricots in water for about 2 hours. If using bright-orange apricots, add a drop of hydrogen peroxide while soaking (optional, this is to oxidize potentially harmful sulfites). Drain water. Peel the orange and remove the central white portion (if using a Navel orange).
3. In a blender, add soaked cashews, apricots, peeled orange, sugar and almond milk. Blend to a smooth paste. Use additional almond milk if necessary.
4. Add the blended mixture to a pan (preferably non-stick) on the stove. Add cardamom powder and 2 tbsp. coconut oil, stir on medium heat. Taste and adjust flavor with sugar if necessary.
5. When most of the water evaporates, add one more tbsp. of oil. When the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and the oil separates from the halwa, transfer it to a greased dish.
6. Shallow-fry some raisins in coconut oil and press them down on the fudge.
7. Allow to cool to room temperature and refrigerate before cutting into squares. Store in the fridge for a week, if it lasts that long!
Check the following links for great vegan food shared at the Potluck! Click this button to see the entry before mine in the Potluck:
Click this button to see the entry after mine in the Potluck:
31 thoughts on : Apricot-Orange halwa or fudge (gluten-free, vegan)
Apsara,
My mouth is watering.
Appa.
🙂
Looks so good! Great recipe!
thank you!
So fun to see what everyone has done w/ the Featured Ingredient! This looks especially tasty! Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
Thank you so much for the opportunity, Annie. I loved taking part in this exciting potluck.
wow scrumptious fudge Apsara… am drooooling at the pic… slurp
Chitra, :)))
I love fudge for its soft texture. This looks perfect with orange and flavours!
I too am a fan of fudge, especially the “kasi” halwa that is served in weddings. Experimenting with new flavors makes it more interesting. 🙂
I am overwhelmed by all the varieties of halwa when I thought carrot was the only option. This looks as delicious as any.
Yes, that was my understanding too, before I started experimenting with different combinations. 🙂
I love halwa, and yours looks creamy and delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂
you’re welcome! Thanks for visiting. 🙂
great vegan recipe! love the apricot and orange additions !
Thank you so much for visiting, Anu! Very glad that you like this combination.
Oh my goodness this looks divine! Yum!
thank you!
the halwa looks great! i like the apricots in there
thank you, Richa. 🙂
Apricot and orange???? I can smell these fudge from here! Thanks for being at FF!
I’ve never had a fruit flavored fudge before, so it’s time I give it a try. Sounds delicious!
I’m glad you like it, Amy. Thanks for visiting!
I love halwa! Nice idea to add apricots in there. Sounds really yummy!
I’m so glad you like it. Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for leaving a comment at my blog but you commented at the wrong blog. I have a duplicate blog on WordPress at the moment because I am in the process of transferring. Please comment here: http://www.veganlovlie.com/2014/12/virtual-vegan-potluck-december-2014.html
Sorry about the confusion.
This looks delicious, thanks for bringing this along to the potluck 🙂
thank you for visiting and the nice comment! 🙂
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