Halva (from Arabic حَلَاوَة — ‘sweetness’) is a delicious Eastern dessert made from whipped caramel mass and crushed roasted nuts. Halva is traditionally served on the table with hot tea. Small pieces of halva are placed on the tongue but not swallowed or chewed, enjoying its taste as it melts in the mouth.
To make the simplest halva yourself, it’s enough to just grind roasted nuts in a blender and mix them with honey. For aroma, you can sometimes add ground vanilla. But if you want to taste real halva, praised in Arabian tales, AdmiGram.com will give you a few recipes for making authentic halva at home.
Delicious homemade halva without sugar
Halva with peanuts
© anastasiayami via Instagram
Ingredients:
- Peeled roasted peanuts — 2 cups
- Aquafaba — 3 tablespoons
- Honey — 1/2 cup
- Peanut oil — 1 tablespoon
How to cook:
Thoroughly grind the roasted peanuts into a paste in a blender. Add a tablespoon of peanut oil, it will give aroma to the halva. When the peanuts turn into a paste, transfer it to a separate dish. In another separate bowl, beat the aquafaba with a mixer until it forms stiff peaks. Then, continuing to beat, add honey. It’s preferable to slightly heat the honey in the microwave to make it easier to pour. After that, using a pastry spatula, gently combine the whipped aquafaba and nut paste. Spread the resulting mixture on a tray, shaping the halva, and let it dry for a day.
Halva with flax and pumpkin seeds
© mariia_turnova via Instagram
Ingredients:
- Peeled roasted pumpkin seeds — 1 cup
- Slightly roasted flax seeds — 1 cup
- Maple syrup — 1 cup
- Cinnamon — 1/2 teaspoon
How to cook:
Thoroughly grind the roasted seeds into a paste in a blender. At the very end, add cinnamon. Continue to beat the paste from the seeds, gradually adding maple syrup. After that, roll out the resulting mass into a layer and shape it. Put it in the freezer overnight. In the morning, slice it into pieces and store it in the refrigerator.
Fruit halva
© nashe.maslo via Instagram
Ingredients:
- Peeled roasted peanuts — 1 cup
- Peeled roasted sunflower seeds — 1 cup
- Slightly roasted pistachios — 1 cup
- Fruit jam (apricot, pear, cherry, kiwi, or other) — 1 cup
- Cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg — to taste
How to cook:
Make a paste from nuts and seeds separately in separate bowls. Then divide each part of the resulting paste in half. In total, we have six portions. In each portion, add a different type of jam so that you can later form the halva in layers. The jam or spices can be any you like. Form the halva into layers from the portions. Put it in the freezer overnight. In the morning, slice it into pieces and store it in the refrigerator.
image on top: anastasiayami via Instagram
