Halvah is a sweet Middle Eastern confection made with a seed, nut, or grain ground with a sweetener and flavored with ingredients such as rose water or dried fruit. Sesame halvah is the most popular variation, made with tahini and honey. Other variations include semolina grain and vegetable ingredients.
Halvah is a Middle Eastern confection that is also widely produced in the Balkans. Several variations of halvah are made, but the main recipe includes a seed, nut or grain ground with a sweetener such as honey or brown sugar and flavored with added ingredients such as rose water, saffron, dried fruit or peanuts. Halvah is a sweet treat popular throughout the Middle East and often appears at banquets and ceremonial occasions.
The word for halvah comes from an Arabic word hulw, meaning “sweet.” Some versions of halvah are so heavily sweetened that they can be almost painful to eat, while other variations are more moderately sweetened. Every cook has variations on the traditional halvah recipe used in their part of the world, and a myriad of flavor combinations are considered acceptable.
Many people are familiar with sesame halvah, which is produced in the Balkans and Turkey. Sesame halvah is made with a base of tahini, mixed with honey and kneaded into a viscous dough that can be put in before being cut and served, or wrapped. Some cooks divide the dough in half and mix half with cocoa before putting it back, creating a rich marbled chocolate sesame halvah. Others may roll the dough in pistachios, other nuts or dried fruit.
In India and neighboring countries, many cooks make halvah from crushed semolina grain. The grain is mixed with honey and butter or oil and kneaded into a dough before dried fruit or nuts are added. This halva has a different texture than sesame halvah and tends to be more like a rich pudding. Other variations on halvah are also made with other seeds, such as sunflower seeds or vegetable ingredients such as carrots and squash.
To make a simple sesame halvah, heat two cups of honey to about 240 degrees Fahrenheit (115 degrees Celsius), until it reaches the soft ball stage, which means a tablespoon of the syrup dropped into cold water will form a ball. soft, which will form flatten if removed. Mix one-and-a-half cups of tahini thoroughly to supplement any excess oil that may have floated to the top, and heat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius).
Fold the tahini into the honey mixture and turn the hot mass onto an oiled board to knead it. The batter will give the halva a light, flaky texture. When the mass is well kneaded, press it into an oiled pan to set and leave to cool completely before cutting. If you want to add nuts or other flavorings, mix them with the honey before adding the tahini.
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