From her grandmother’s kitchen, Chef Reetika Gill brings traditional Ambi Halwa, a unique tangy seasonal mango dessert

In my family, food is more than a daily ritual — it’s an inheritance of stories, a thread that weaves generations together. Every time I cook a dish passed down from my elders, I feel as though I’m stirring memory into the pot alongside the ingredients.

Just the other day, I was chatting with my Gug Bhuji, as I often do, asking her to teach me a new recipe. As we talked, we found ourselves reminiscing about Mataji — her mother and the matriarch of our family.

Bhuji, a gifted cook, told me how every summer, when mangoes had just begun to ripen, Mataji would prepare a special halwa using ambi — raw mango. It was a seasonal treat she and her siblings eagerly awaited. The aroma of tangy mango sugar syrup melding with the roasted flour carried the essence of childhood and home. She urged me to make it that very day — not just to try the recipe, but in hopes that the taste might spark a smile of recognition on my father’s face, a reminder of his early years.

Ambi Halwa

Ingredients

Raw mango (diced)                    1/3 cup

Whole wheat flour (coarse)      1 cup

Ghee                                              3/4 cup

Sugar                                             1 cup

Water                                            3 cups

Method

To prepare the sugar syrup, take a pan. Add sugar, water and diced raw mango. Heat until sugar fully dissolves and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

In a kadahi, melt ghee. Add whole wheat flour and roast on low to medium heat. Stir continuously till the flour changes colour to deep golden brown and emanates a nutty aroma.

Slowly pour into it the mango sugar syrup, stirring continuously at the same time to prevent lumps. Cook on low flame till it thickens and ghee starts to separate from the sides.

Turn off the flame and let it rest for five minutes. Serve warm.

— Founder-Chef of Curry Singh Kitchen in Gurugram, Chef Reetika Gill heads Gourmet Gill Catering, a luxury Indian catering company delivering bespoke culinary experiences