Tahini Halva/ Turkish Halwa/ Sesame Halwa

Festive season always invites for some saporous sweets. To all the halva lovers out there - Sesame/ Tahini halva with loads of nuts and fresh fruit toppings is sure to blow your mind off. Be assured, this nutritious and finger licking halwa will just melt in your mouth. This palatable sweet is so rich, creamy and flavorful with the nutty combination of mixed nuts and fresh fruits. 

Happy Hindu New Year to you all. This festival always lineup with Ugadi, Vishu and Tamil new year. It's usually celebrated with a feast along with fresh fruits and a sweet treats. Who does not love a piping hot halwa that just melts in your mouth, especially when it's made effortlessly in less than 15 mins? 

The Turkish halwa, name itself got my attention when my brother described with what his friend relished and praised about. I came up with this version without any proven recipe. Although, the traditional recipe is supposed to be dense, crumbly and also cut to shape. I have always enjoyed piping hot halwa my mom makes with semolina, wheat or nuts. I wanted to recreate the texture but with tahini/ sesame seeds for its nutrition factors such as, high calcium, fiber and plant protein. Studies suggest that it also helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides. When you have a choice to make a healthier version of any food, why not give it a try when it comes to dessert as well. 

Grinding sesame seeds into a paste for tahini sauce was always a challenge. So, I started grinding it in to a fine powder before I add the water to transform it to a paste consistency. Used the same trick here and the process was done in just a jiffy. I used brown cane sugar as I had it readily available in my pantry. However, white sugar would have retained the color of sesame seeds resulting with a fairly white colored halwa. 

I was thrilled to try it out, but being my 1st, I chose to keep the quantity low. I am extremely pleased with the results and the comments from loved ones. Once you try this combination, you might take a step further by enjoying all of your halwas with this fruit and nut combination. 

Happy Hindu New year to you all! 

Now, let's hop on to the pictorial stepwise recipe.

PREP TIME

5 mins

COOK TIME

10 mins

TOTAL TIME

15 mins

Category: Dessert, sweets, Halwa

Cuisine: Mediterranean-Indian fusion
Level: Easy

Serves: 4 

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 261
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 18 g	27 %
Saturated Fat 4 g	18 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 35 mg	1 %
Potassium 10 mg	0 %
Total Carbohydrate 24 g	8 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	3 %
Sugars 19 g
Protein 4 g	9 %
Vitamin A	4 %
Vitamin C	4 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	2 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

INGREDIENTS

1. White sesame seeds - 1/2 cup
2. Unbleached sugar (used brown cane sugar) - 6 tbsp
3. Ghee/ clarified butter - 4 tsp
4. Rose, Kewra or Almond essence - 2 drops
5. Water - 2 cups (reserve 1 for sugar syrup)
6. Mixed nuts and dry fruits - 1/4 cup (pistachios, cashews, sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds,  sesame seeds, raisins and cranberries)
7. Fresh fruits - 1/4 cup (used chopped strawberries and blueberries)
8. Rose petals for garnishing (optional)- few

DIRECTIONS

1. Grind the sesame seeds in a mixer to a fine paste. 

2. Now add required water about 1/2 cup to make it into a paste consistency.

3. In a saucepan on medium to make the simple sugar, combine sugar and 1 cup of water and give it a good stir. With occasional stirring, allow all the sugar to dissolve. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. In a wok/ kadai or a non-stick pan add 2 tsp of ghee on medium heat. To this add the sesame paste and remaining 1/2 cup of water stirring continuously to prevent any lumps. Once the raw smell dissipates pour in the prepared simple sugar syrup and continue stirring. Cook for another 3-4 mins until the mixture thickens. 

5. Now add the 2 drops of rose essence and 1 tsp of ghee. Check for the halwa consistency by following any of the 3 methods mentioned*.

6. Once done, remove from heat and transfer to the serving bowl. Top the decadent with melted ghee along with your desired fresh fruits, nuts and rose petals. Serve immediately or store it in a vacuum sealed container and refrigerate once it cools down.  Remember to reheat before serving. 

NOTES AND TIPS

1. To check the halwa consistency, there are 3 proven methods you can chose to follow.

• The halwa will not stick to the wok /kadai when you run your spatula through it.
• Take a tiny piece to make it into a ball. Ensure you don't burn your finger in the process by resting/ cooling it for a min or two until you can handle the heat. 
• Drop tiny bit of halwa in a cup filled with cold water, for the halwa to stick together. If it melts and dissipates its not done yet.