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Sheki halva
Şəki halvası: rice-flour lattice filled with hazelnuts and soaked in syrup
AzerbaijaniThe silk town of Sheki, in the green foothills of the Greater Caucasus, is famous for its halva: a lacework of rice-flour batter drizzled from a funnel-like tool called a reshta onto a round tray, filled with crushed hazelnuts spiced with cardamom and coriander, topped with another lace layer and drenched in syrup until glossy and sticky. Sheki confectioners sell it from wooden trays in the old caravanserai streets. This home version uses a squeeze bottle for the lattice. A common mistake is making the lattice too thick, which turns it doughy instead of crisp and lacy. Chef's tip: keep each lattice layer thin and lacy, with gaps you can see the tray through, and drizzle the syrup while it is hot.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the lattice batter
- 9 oz rice flour
- 1 ¼ cups cold water
- 1 pinch saffron threadssoaked in 1 tbsp hot water
- 2 tbsp sunflower oilfor the tray
For the filling
- 14 oz hazelnutstoasted, skinned and coarsely ground
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground coriander
For the syrup
- 14 oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Whisk 9 oz rice flour and 1 ¼ cups cold water into a smooth, pourable batter, like single cream. Rest for 30 minutes. Pour into a squeeze bottle with a fine nozzle.
30 minStep 2: Heat 14 oz sugar, ¾ cup water and 2 tbsp honey, stirring until dissolved, then boil for 8 minutes until slightly syrupy. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice and keep warm.
10 minStep 3: Mix 14 oz hazelnuts, 3 ½ oz sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom and ½ tsp ground coriander.
Step 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (fan 325°F). Brush a 28 cm round tin with 2 tbsp sunflower oil and warm it in the oven for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 5: Drizzle a thin lattice of batter over the base in criss-cross lines, about 1 cm apart. Bake for 5 minutes, until set but pale. Common mistake: a thick layer; it goes doughy. Repeat to make 3 layers.
15 minStep 6: Spread the nut filling evenly and press down. Make 3 more lattice layers on top, baking 5 minutes after each.
15 minStep 7: Mix 1 tbsp of the warm batter with the 1 pinch saffron threads water, drizzle a thin decorative pattern on top and bake for 10–15 minutes more, until crisp and very pale gold.
15 minStep 8: Pour the hot syrup slowly over the halva and leave for at least 4 hours to soak. Cut into diamonds.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sheki halva take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground coriander?
- Coriander seeds, toasted and ground.
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