Kada prasad (wheat flour halwa)
Whole-wheat flour, ghee and sugar in equal parts — the sacred offering of the gurdwara, also made at home for Guru Nanak Jayanti and ardas.
Fasting (vrat) suitability
No saltNo onion or garlicContains grains or pulses, so it is usually made as festival prasad rather than eaten during a strict fast.
Fasting and offering customs differ between families, regions and sampradayas — some avoid all salt, milk, sugar or certain vegetables. Follow your own tradition and your elders’ guidance.
Offered on
Offered with ardas in the gurdwara and on Gurpurabs such as Guru Nanak Jayanti (Kartik Purnima)
Ingredients
For 8 servings. 1 cup = 240 ml.
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour (atta)
- 1 cup ghee
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 cups water
Method
- Boil the water with the sugar until the sugar dissolves; keep this syrup hot.
- Melt the ghee in a heavy kadai, add the flour and roast on low-medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Keep roasting until the flour turns a deep golden brown and smells rich (about 15 minutes).
- Pour in the hot syrup carefully and stir quickly and continuously to prevent lumps.
- Cook until the halwa thickens and the ghee begins to separate. It is traditionally prepared while reciting Gurbani and offered before it is shared.
This is a Sikh offering: in the gurdwara it is prepared and distributed by sevadars following set maryada. The equal-parts measure is the tradition.
Recipes written by our editorial team from common household practice. Measures: 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml.