Kitchen Recipe Collection
Sri Lankan Muscat
A brightly colored, translucent, and highly chewy gummy sweetmeat studded with cashew nuts, commonly found in sweet shops.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 24
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- sri lankan
Ingredients
Scaled for 24 servings
- cornflour (cornstarch)
- sugar
- water
- butter (or ghee)
- rose essence
- food coloring (red, green, or yellow)
- roasted cashew nuts
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed non-stick pan
- Greased tray
Instructions
- 1
Make Slurry
Whisk the cornflour and water together until completely smooth.
- 2
Make Syrup
In a heavy pan, boil the sugar with a little water until it dissolves.
- 3
Combine
Lower the heat and slowly pour the cornflour slurry into the sugar syrup, whisking constantly.
- 4
Cook & Add Fat
The mixture will thicken instantly and become translucent. Keep stirring continuously over low heat. Add the butter/ghee in stages, waiting for each addition to be absorbed.
- 5
Flavor & Set
Once the mixture forms a massive, shiny, chewy dough ball that doesn't stick to the pan, add rose essence, food coloring, and cashews. Pour into a tray, flatten, and let set.
Cooking Tips
- Stamina is required! You must stir continuously for up to 30-40 minutes to develop the correct chewy, gummy texture.
- Do not skimp on the butter/ghee; it gives the muscat its characteristic shine and prevents it from sticking to your teeth.
Variations
- Bombay Halwa: Muscat is essentially the Sri Lankan version of Indian Bombay Halwa.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Usually bought from Muslim sweet shops in Sri Lanka during festivals like Eid.
Nutrition Estimate
90 calories · 0g protein · 18g carbs · 2g fat · 0g fiber per serving
