Semolina Halva “İrmik Helvası” is a traditional dessert from Ottoman times. The name halva is used for referring to a wide variety of confections, with the most geographically common type based on fried semolina grain which we call irmik.
It is popular in Turkey as well as the Middle East, some parts of Asia and Eastern Europe, It is made on a stove-top and can be done in 20 minutes. I will also show you how you can serve in different styles and with ice cream as well.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup semolina
- 2 heaped tbsp flour
- 1/2 vegetable oil or a mix of vegetable oil and butter
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pine nuts (You can try with almonds or hazelnuts too)
- For the syrup:
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tbsp grape molasses
- Garnishing options:
- ground pistachios, ground cinnamon, vanilla ice cream
How To Make Turkish Semolina Halva “İrmik Helvası”
Cooking:
- Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a wide big pan. Add flour, and semolina flour and fry (sauté) stirring continuously for about 15 minutes. You will see the caramel color after time passes it will get darken.
- Meanwhile for the syrup heat the water, milk, sugar, and heat until the sugar dissolves stirring from time to time.
- When it is almost done with the desired color, add the nuts and stir for one more minute. Slowly pour the syrup into the pan, BEING CAREFUL with the steam that will come from the pan. Stir until the semolina soaks the syrup.
- Mix 2 tbsp molasses with half cup water and add to the halva mixture. Give it a good stir one more time and let it sit for one minute and serve.
Serving:
- The best way to enjoy it to serve warm freshly but it will be good after that too. You can also reheat in a pan if you like to warm it up again.
- You can serve in a bowl sprinkling cinnamon or more nuts, shape it with two spoons while it is hot, or scoop with an ice-cream scoop.
- Another popular way of serving is to fill it with ice cream. For that place cling film to a medium-size bowl that hangs from the sides. Fill halfway with semolina halva. Halva should be lukewarm for easy shaping but not hot so the icecream doesn’t melt right away. shape the halva covering the sides and make well on center. Fill it with vanilla ice cream and cover with more halva and press lightly. Cover to a plate, sprinkle pistachio nuts on top if preferred, and enjoy!
You might be interested in these desserts too:
Turkish Cheese Dessert “Lor Tatlısı”
Sultan’s Rolled Pudding “Sultan Sarması”
Turkish Apple Filled Cookies By Aysenur Altan
Turkish Delight Filled Cookies
Turkish Semolina Halva “İrmik Helvası”
Semolina Halva “İrmik Helvası” is a traditional dessert from Ottoman times. The name halva is used for referring to a wide variety of confections, with the most geographically common type based on fried semolina grain which we call irmik.
It is popular in Turkey as well as the Middle East, some parts of Asia and Eastern Europe, It is made on a stove-top and can be done in 20 minutes. I will also show you how you can serve in different styles and with ice cream as well.
Ingredients
- 1 cup semolina
- 2 tbsp flour heaped
- 1/2 vegetable oil or a mix of vegetable oil and butter
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts pine nuts (You can try with almonds or hazelnuts too)
For the syrup:
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tbsp grape molasses
Garnishing options:
- ground pistachios ground cinnamon, vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Cooking:
- Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a wide big pan. Add flour, and semolina flour and fry (sauté) stirring continuously for about 15 minutes. You will see the caramel color after time passes it will get darken.
- semolina halva soaking the syrup
- Meanwhile for the syrup heat the water, milk, sugar, and heat until the sugar dissolves stirring from time to time.
- When it is almost done with the desired color, add the nuts and stir for one more minute. Slowly pour the syrup into the pan, BEING CAREFUL with the steam that will come from the pan. Stir until the semolina soaks the syrup.
- Mix 2 tbsp molasses with half cup water and add to the halva mixture. Give it a good stir one more time and let it sit for one minute and serve.
Serving:
- The best way to enjoy it to serve warm freshly but it will be good after that too. You can also reheat in a pan if you like to warm it up again.
- You can serve in a bowl sprinkling cinnamon or more nuts, shape it with two spoons while it is hot, or scoop with an ice-cream scoop.
- Another popular way of serving is to fill it with ice cream. For that place cling film to a medium-size bowl that hangs from the sides. Fill halfway with semolina halva. Halva should be lukewarm for easy shaping but not hot so the icecream doesn’t melt right away. shape the halva covering the sides and make well on center. Fill it with vanilla ice cream and cover with more halva and press lightly. Cover to a plate, sprinkle pistachio nuts on top if preferred, and enjoy!
2 Comments