Turkish Halva: A Step-by-Step Recipe with Photos for Making Your Own

Speaking "Turkish halva"Tahini halva" is most often referred to as classic tahini halva (an Eastern sweet made from sunflower seeds or nuts), but it's far from the only recipe for this popular Turkish dessert. Today, we'll explain the different types of halva and how they differ. We'll also teach you how to make traditional Turkish halva at home and offer a classic step-by-step recipe with a detailed description of the preparation process, complete with photos and video instructions.

Turkish Halva: A Classic Step-by-Step Recipe

Nutritional value per serving

543 kcal

Proteins: 8 g
Fats: 23 g
Carbohydrates: 76 g

*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients

Total time: 1 hour
Time in the kitchen: 30 min
Complexity:

A simple recipe.
Number of servings: 4

Turkish halva is the most famous oriental sweet, known and loved today by adults and children in many countries around the world.

But few people know that Turkish halva comes in a wide variety of flavors, and its taste depends on the ingredients and the recipe.The following varieties of sweet dishes are popular in Turkey:

Tahini (tahini halva is prepared from seeds, sesame and nuts);
"Peynir" or "cheese" (this Teretsk halva is prepared from “irmik,” a special type of large semolina and cheese);
"Irmik helvasi" – semolina halva (made from semolina with walnuts or pistachios);
«Writing» (analogous to the Persian dish "Pishmak", which is made from airy sugar threads).

In Turkey, they also prepare unusual varieties of halva, the recipes of which include cocoa, chocolate or caramel.

We also previously told you how to cook carrot Indian style halva And Armenian semolina halva.

Today, we'll take a detailed look at how to make the Eastern sweet "Irmik Helvası" at home. Known in Turkey as "funeral halva," the dish got its name because it's traditionally served at funerals to ensure a sweet afterlife for the deceased.

It's worth noting that Turkish halva is quite easy and quick to prepare at home, and using our detailed recipe with photos, even novice cooks can make this authentic oriental dessert at home.

Important! In Turkey, this dish is prepared using irmik, a special coarse semolina, but if you can't find this rare ingredient in Moscow, regular semolina will do.

Turkish Semolina Halva – a recipe using wheat flour

Irmik helvasi – a detailed step-by-step recipe for Turkish semolina halva with photos

Ingredients

Servings

Semolina

1 cup
Sugar

1 cup
Milk

2 glass
Butter

110 G
Vegetable oil

3 tbsp
Pine nuts

20 G
Walnuts

20 G
Cinnamon (ground)

to taste
Sesame paste

to taste

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare Turkish halva, it is best to use a pan with high sides and a thick bottom.

Begin by adding 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 110 grams of butter to the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat until it becomes liquid.

Step 2

Add a glass of semolina to the melted butter and mix thoroughly.

Step 3

Fry the cereal for 12-15 minutes, until it turns a characteristic golden color, stirring constantly.

Step 4

When the semolina is almost ready, add the pine nuts and continue frying for a little while longer.

Step 5

While continuing to heat, add 2 cups of milk to the mixture and mix thoroughly until smooth.

Step 6

Add 1 cup of sugar, stir and bring to a boil.

Step 7

Cook the mixture over low heat until it thickens, stirring constantly.

It is necessary to boil it down to a consistency at which there will be space left on the surface of the pan when you run a spoon through it (the mass will not immediately close).

Step 8

Remove the finished halva from the heat, cover with a lid and let it steam for 20-30 minutes.

Step 9

While the halva is still warm and soft, form beautiful mounds (you can use muffin tins). Drizzle each portion with sesame paste and sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped walnuts.

Semolina halva is served hot or cold. When served cold, it can be garnished with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or grated chocolate.

Now you know what Turkish housewives use to make inexpensive homemade halva. We also suggest trying another classic recipe for this traditional Turkish dish with nuts and dried fruits: