Iranian Food: Iranian Halva

Halva which is originally an Arabic word meaning 'sweet' has a very special place in Iranian culture.

Iran PressIran news: In Iran, the application of this dessert has changed a lot throughout history. In the past, it was cooked at weddings and ceremonies and it was also offered as a gift. Today, Halva is mostly served at funerals, or cooked and given to others as a religious treat but it is still one of the most favorite, delicious, and nutritious sweets among Iranians alongside other sweets.

Ingredients:

1- 1 cup white flour

2- ½ cup oil

3- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

4- 1.5 cups Shahd (in an additional recipe, preparing Shahd has been explained)

Instruction:

1- Put a saucepan on a moderate flame. Put the flour in the saucepan, stir and sauté it gently and continuously until its color gradually turns in to golden and it smells roasted (it takes almost 7 to 9 minutes).

2- Add the oil and stir the ingredients for some moments.

3- Add the cardamom powder.

4- Remove the saucepan from the heat and gradually add some Shahd, be careful not to add it all at once, add enough of it for the combination to thicken to an appropriate level. Take care not to pour it all at once.

5- Heat the saucepan again and stir the ingredients for 2 or 3 more minutes.

6- Spread Halva onto a plate and garnish it with slivered almond, pistachio, or coconut.

Shahd of Halva:

This sweet syrup, which is very similar to simple syrup, is prepared and added to Halva, it is actually one of the important ingredients for cooking it.

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