Karachi Halwa (Bombay Cornflour Halwa)

Instructions

1. Grease the loaf pan with ghee. Whisk the cornflour (cornstarch) into 360 ml of the water until completely smooth.
2. Combine the granulated sugar and the remaining 60 ml water in a heavy nonstick pan or kadai over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the syrup boils, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
3. Lower the heat to medium-low. Whisk the cornflour slurry again and pour it into the syrup, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until it thickens into a cloudy, jelly-like mass, 4 to 6 minutes.
4. Add 15 g of the ghee and stir until absorbed. Keep cooking and stirring, adding the remaining ghee about 15 g at a time each time the last addition disappears, until the mixture turns from cloudy to clear and glossy, 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Stir in the orange food coloring, ground cardamom and two-thirds of the cashews.
6. Keep cooking and stirring until the halwa forms a single translucent, elastic mass that pulls away from the pan and starts releasing ghee at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes more.
7. Scrape into the greased loaf pan, smooth the top with a greased spatula and press the remaining cashews on top.
8. Let set at room temperature until firm, at least 1 hour. Turn out and cut into 16 pieces with a greased knife.