Persian Halva Recipe

Persian Halva is rich, bursting with aroma, and fudge-like confectionery typically made of white wheat flour, sweet saffron rose water syrup, and oil. Each bite is a symphony of flavors, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that will leave you wanting more.

About This Recipe

The word Halva or Halwa means “sweet” and that’s the perfect way to describe this amazingly delicious Middle Eastern confection. Halwa has different recipes in Middle Eastern countries. In Iran, traditional halva is usually made with wheat flour, sweet saffron rosewater syrup, and oil. It is traditionally prepared during funerals or religious events but you can enjoy the fragrant halwa as a dessert any time you like.

Why You Will Love Persian Halva

• Packed with flavor: Persian Halva is cooked with a fragrant syrup made up of sugar, water, cardamom powder, rose water, and saffron. In addition to the unique taste that these ingredients give to halva, your kitchen will be filled with a bright and floral scent.
• Simple ingredients: All you need is simple ingredients and basic kitchen tools to cook this irresistibly delicious Persian Halwa. If you don’t have cardamom, rose water, or saffron treads on hand you can head to the nearest Iranian or Middle Eastern grocery store and get the ingredients you need.
• Crowd pleaser: A delicious, easy, traditional dessert that’s always a crowd-pleaser!

Persian Halva Ingredients

• Flour: The flour used for this halwa is white wheat flour. All-purpose flour will work too.
• Rose water: Rose Water adds a floral flavor to the Halva.
• Saffron: Saffron gives a nice color, taste, and aroma to the dessert.
• Vegetable oil: You can use any tasteless and odorless liquid vegetable oil (canola, corn, and sunflower) for this recipe.
• Powdered cardamom: For this recipe use powdered green cardamom, which you can typically find at Middle Eastern grocery stores.
• Sugar: Use granulated white sugar to add sweetness to the Persian Halwa.
• Slivered almonds and pistachios

How to Make Persian Halva

• Sprinkle ground saffron on 3 tablespoons of boiling water and set aside for at least 10 minutes. Mix sugar and water in a medium saucepan to dissolve and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add in bloomed saffron, powdered cardamom, and rose water. Let the syrup simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes.
• Sift the flour in a large pan. Place the pan over medium-low heat and toast the flour stirring constantly. Cook the flour for about 10 minutes or until it turns into a pale golden brown. If you want the color of the halva to be darker, toast the flour for longer, but make sure that the flour does not burn.
• Add oil to the flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
• Ladle hot syrup into the flour and oil mixture and stir continuously. Be careful because the syrup is so hot and it can spatter. Stir the mixture of flour, oil, and syrup well and make sure that it does not stick to the pan.
• After adding the syrup and stirring the halva for a few minutes, you will see that the texture of the halva hardens and separates from the pan. Cook the halva while mixing until the moisture absorbs and the mixture becomes fluffy. Put the spoon aside and gently shake the pan until the halva comes together in a smooth mass.
• Remove the halva from the heat and transfer it to a serving dish. Garnish halva with almonds, pistachios, and coconut powder.

Expert Tips

• Use white wheat flour because wheat flour improves the taste and color of halva.
• Pass the flour through a fine sieve to remove large lumps of flour.
• Halva’s color may vary between different shades of brown, depending on the amount of time you toast the flour. If you are looking to make dark halva, cook the flour for a few more minutes.
• Add hot syrup to the flour and oil mixture. If the syrup is cold, it will be difficult to mix, and the halva will not come together.
• To serve halva, you can let it cool for a few minutes pour it into the mold, and shape it.
• Halva is usually served on small plates and decorated with pistachio powder, coconut powder, slivered almonds or slivered pistachios.

FAQs

Can I Make Halva Without Rose Water?

Yes, Rosewater (Golab) gives a floral aroma and taste to the dessert. Rose water is a traditional ingredient in the Persian halwa recipe but it can replaced with bloomed saffron and cardamom.

Did you like the Persian Halva recipe?  Try my cake Yazdi recipe as well! Leave your comment below and If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photos #yummynotes 

Persian Halva Recipe

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 13 voted )

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Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ cups water
• 1/3 cup rosewater
• 1 cup oil
• 1/3 teaspoon ground saffron threads
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Instructions

Step 1 

Sprinkle ground saffron on 3 tablespoons of boiling water and set aside for at least 10 minutes. Mix sugar and water in a medium saucepan to dissolve and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add in bloomed saffron, powdered cardamom, and rose water. Let the syrup simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes.

Step 2

Sift the flour in a large pan. Place the pan over medium-low heat and toast the flour stirring constantly. Cook the flour for about 10 minutes or until it turns into a pale golden brown. If you want the color of the halva to be darker, toast the flour for longer, but make sure that the flour does not burn.

Step 3

Add oil to the flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.

Step 4

Ladle hot syrup into the flour and oil mixture and stir continuously. Be careful because the syrup is so hot and it can spatter. Stir the mixture of flour, oil, and syrup well and make sure that it does not stick to the pan.

Step 5

After adding the syrup and stirring the halva for a few minutes, you will see that the texture of the halva hardens and separates from the pan. Cook the halva while mixing until the moisture absorbs and the mixture becomes fluffy. Put the spoon aside and gently shake the pan until the halva comes together in a smooth mass.

Step 6

Remove the halva from the heat and transfer it to a serving dish. Garnish halva with almonds, pistachios, and coconut powder.