İrmik Helvası: Semolina Halva with Coconut Oil

This one went on record as Nilay’s favorite, not mine. We had coconut oil in the house, tried it in the halva and were very happy with the result: it gives the dish a different aroma. I hope you like it too.

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The short answer

Nilay’s favorite: pine nuts and semolina toasted in butter, hot sweetened milk poured over, and a spoonful of coconut oil to finish. 25 minutes in all; serve it warm.

Recipe

İrmik Helvası (Semolina Halva)

• Prep10 min
• Cook15 min

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 cup semolina
• 1½ cups milk
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Equipment

Saucepan, frying pan, spoon

Method

1. Stir the milk and sugar together in a saucepan, bring to a boil and keep it hot.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add the pine nuts and stir constantly.
3. When the pine nuts turn golden, add the semolina.
4. The grains will soak up the butter and turn translucent first. When they start to darken all together, turn off the heat and pour the hot milk into the pan a little at a time, stirring as you go.
5. When the halva is thick and no longer grainy, stir in the coconut oil as a final touch and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

• To make it vegan, use coconut sugar instead of sugar, almond milk instead of milk, and half olive oil, half coconut oil instead of butter. Don’t skip a dusting of cinnamon when serving: it balances the sweetness from the wheat and the sugar.

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Tips

• Bring the milk and sugar to a boil in a separate pan and keep it hot.
• Toast the pine nuts in butter, stirring constantly, until golden, then add the semolina.
• The semolina soaks up the butter, turns translucent, then starts to darken all together: that’s when you turn off the heat.
• Pour the boiling milk in a little at a time, stirring; you want a dense halva, not loose grains.
• Finish with the coconut oil, stir once more and let it rest 10 minutes.

Vegan version

Use coconut sugar instead of sugar, almond milk instead of milk, and half olive oil, half coconut oil instead of butter. Don’t forget a dusting of cinnamon when you serve it.