This simple and delicious ghaas ka halwa is a crowd-pleasing pudding made with china grass or agar agar, perfect for dessert you want to make ahead of time!
We can confirm that no gathering or dinner party is complete without dessert!
In fact, for us, desserts are a must after every meal – especially when gathering with family and friends. This ghaas ka halwa or china grass pudding is the perfect dessert to feed a crowd!
In this Post:
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients you need
- How to make China Grass Pudding?
- Recipe Tips
- More Dessert Recipes
Why you’ll love this recipe
If you’re looking for desserts that are crowd pleasers, look no further than this ghaas ka halwa.
This ghaas ka halwa is made with china grass or agar agar – which is a plant-based substitute for gelatin. The result is a delicious milk-based pudding with a fun jiggly texture, that both kids and adults love!
You’ll love how easy this recipe is, and you can definitely make it ahead of time!
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more crowd-pleasing dessert recipes, here are some of our favorites:
- Mango Trifle Cups
- Easy Malai Kulfi Recipe
- Mithai Truffles: Chocolate Peanut Butter Barfi Balls
- Shahi Tukra: Pakistani Bread Pudding
Ingredients & Notes
- Milk – any kind of milk works for this.
- Sugar – we use sugar to sweeten this dessert, you can adjust the amount to your liking.
- Agar agar powder – also known as China Grass, it is a vegan substitute for gelatin, made with seaweed. It comes in many forms – we used it as a powder form for this recipe.
- Green Cardamom powder – this spice has a floral note used in many Indian/Pakistani desserts.
- Food Color – this is optional but makes for a gorgeous dessert. You can use any color you’d like to match your theme.
- Almonds – sliced almonds make for the perfect garnish for this dessert.
How to make China Grass Pudding?
In a heavy bottom pot on low-medium, add most of the milk – (about 1.5 cups, leaving ½ cup aside).
Add sugar, cardamom powder and food color (if using).
Stir the milk frequently.
Add the agar agar powder (china grass) and the remaining ½ cup of milk to a separate bowl. Mix well.
Slowly stream in the agar agar mix into the hot boiling milk. Keep stirring, using a whisk, so no lumps form.
Adjust sugar or cardamom powder at this point if you like.
Let the milk boil for a few minutes. Once ready, pour into a deep dish or individual bowls.
Garnish with sliced almonds and set it for 2-4 hours, at room temperature or in the fridge.
Tips and Serving Suggestions
- To serve this dish, you can cut it into squares once it is set in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
- You can also make individual servings with this dessert, in cute ramekins!
- This is a fun dessert that can be made in lots of different colors to match any party or theme!
China Grass or Agar Agar is made of seaweed. It is a plant-based substitute for gelatin, used as a thickening agent in many desserts.
It is best to dissolve agar agar in room temperature liquid (water or milk) and then add it to a hot liquid (milk in this recipe). You’ll need about 1 tbsp of agar agar powder or flakes for every cup of liquid.
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more easy dessert recipes, here are some of our favorites:
- Mango Shrikhand with Greek Yogurt or Hung Curd
- Firni – Semolina Dessert
- Khopra Pak: Easy Coconut Fudge
- Kheer: Pakistani Rice Pudding Recipe
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Ghaas Ka Halwa
Ingredients
- 2 cups Milk 500 mL
- ¾ -1 cup Sugar
- 2-3 tbsp Agar agar powder
- 1 teaspoon Green Cardamom powder
- 5-10 drops Food Coloring
- 10-15 Almonds sliced
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom pot on low-medium, add most of the milk – (about 1.5 cups, leaving ½ cup aside)
- Add sugar, cardamom powder and food color (if using).
- Stir the milk frequently.
- Add the agar agar powder (china grass) and the remaining ½ cup of milk to a separate bowl. Mix well.
- Slowly stream in the agar agar mix into the hot boiling milk. Keep stirring, using a whisk, so no lumps form.
- Adjust sugar or cardamom powder at this point if you like.
- Let the milk boil for a few minutes. Once ready, pour into a deep dish or individual bowls.
- Garnish with sliced almonds and set it for 2-4 hours, at room temperature or in the fridge.
- Once ready to serve, cut into the desired size and serve.