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Halva-ye khorma
Halva-ye khorma (حلوای خرما): date halva from Khuzestan and Bushehr
Along the Gulf coast, in Bushehr, Ahvaz and Abadan, halva-ye khorma is made from the year's soft dates and served at breakfast with bread, at funerals and on Thursday evenings in memory of the dead. Flour is toasted slowly until nutty, then beaten with warm date paste, saffron, cardamom and rosewater into a dense, glossy halva that is pressed into a dish and decorated. A common mistake is adding cold date paste to the hot flour, which seizes into lumps; warm the dates first. Chef's tip: keep stirring until the halva leaves the sides of the pan in one smooth ball, which means it will slice neatly once cool.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 14 oz soft pitted dates
- ¼ cup hot water
- 3 ½ oz ghee
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- ¼ tsp saffron threadsground and bloomed in 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tbsp rosewater
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the 14 oz soft pitted dates and ¼ cup hot water in a small pan over a low heat and mash for 5 minutes into a smooth, warm paste.
5 minStep 2: Melt the 3 ½ oz ghee with the 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide pan over a low heat, add the 5 ½ oz plain flour and stir constantly for 15–18 minutes, until it smells nutty and turns the colour of light caramel.
17 minStep 3: Add the warm date paste a spoon at a time, beating hard, then the ¼ tsp saffron threads, 1 tsp ground cardamom and 2 tbsp rosewater. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring and pressing, until glossy and the halva leaves the sides of the pan in one mass.
7 minStep 4: Press into a 20 cm plate or dish, smooth with the back of a wet spoon and mark a pattern. Scatter with 3 tbsp chopped pistachios or walnuts and 2 tbsp desiccated coconut.
3 minStep 5: Cool to room temperature before cutting into wedges or squares. Keeps a week in a covered tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does halva-ye khorma take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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