Turkish Flour Helva   Recipe (2024)

I don't understand the convention of not including water in the list of ingredients. It would be easily overlooked when it it just included in the instructions.

Interesting. I am definitely giving this a try. Trinidadians make it with rice flour and it has a great flavor with cardamom. Halva is wonderful.

You can substitute semolina (coarse or fine) for the all purpose flour. You can also add saffron strands to the warm milk before adding to the flour mix, it brings a divine earthiness to the halva. Raisins add texture to the halva, as do roasted cashew bits, especially if both are browned in ghee before adding to the halva.

This is one of the many dishes that illustrate the connections between Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. Back in my vegetarian cook days I was taught to make this by a Punjabi Hindu lady, although what is essentially a roux was not cooked so long and thus had less of a brown butter taste. She informed me that it was often distributed as a prasad (blessed food distributed after a ritual). Interesting that it has a different but still somewhat ceremonial role for Turkish families.

This is typically served at funerals. After the burial, people gather at the deceased's home. There's food, and lots of people, and amidst all of that the helva is cooked. The kitchen, and the helva, are almost a refuge from small talk, the people, and the grief. The helva needs to be stirred often and for long, perfect for when there are many people around. So people come to the kitchen, stir a bit, exchange memories of the deceased and return to the reception.

This is typically served at funerals. After the burial, people gather at the deceased's home. There's food, and lots of people, and amidst all of that the helva is cooked. The kitchen, and the helva, are almost a refuge from small talk, the people, and the grief. The helva needs to be stirred often and for long, perfect for when there are many people around. So people come to the kitchen, stir a bit, exchange memories of the deceased and return to the reception.

Most do not use water to make this. Generally turkish people use semolina flour, known as irmik, to make this instead of flour.

Oh lord, this tastes so good.

I live in Istanbul and am not sure what you mean by ceremonial. It’s like saying water is ceremonial because it is offered at weddings and funerals. Turks eat helva for any and all reasons, it’s just a sweet dessert. Sometimes a snack, always offered anytime anywhere. Nothing ceremonial about it.

This is one of the many dishes that illustrate the connections between Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. Back in my vegetarian cook days I was taught to make this by a Punjabi Hindu lady, although what is essentially a roux was not cooked so long and thus had less of a brown butter taste. She informed me that it was often distributed as a prasad (blessed food distributed after a ritual). Interesting that it has a different but still somewhat ceremonial role for Turkish families.

You can substitute semolina (coarse or fine) for the all purpose flour. You can also add saffron strands to the warm milk before adding to the flour mix, it brings a divine earthiness to the halva. Raisins add texture to the halva, as do roasted cashew bits, especially if both are browned in ghee before adding to the halva.

I don't understand the convention of not including water in the list of ingredients. It would be easily overlooked when it it just included in the instructions.

Interesting. I am definitely giving this a try. Trinidadians make it with rice flour and it has a great flavor with cardamom. Halva is wonderful.