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Semolina Halva Pudding


Semolina Halva (Pudding)
*******
This is SO good!!!
This is a warm, pudding-like dessert.  This type of halva is made by frying flour, such as semolina, and oil into a roux and cooking it with sugary syrup. Halva popular in Iran, Turkey, Somalia, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. This Indian Halva is similar to what we ate at Govinda’s Buffet  (Llama festival at the Sri Sri Rhada Krishna temple in Springville 2010).  They made it with peach juice.

¼ C (50g) ghee or butter
¾ C (140g) semolina or Cream of Wheat (farina)
2 ¼ C (550 ml) water
¾ C (150g) sugar
1 tsp cardamom, ground
¼ C pistachios, chopped coarsely
1/3 C (50g) raisins, soaked in hot water
¼ tsp rose water

1.     Melt ghee or butter in a saucepan.  Add the semolina or farina and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 5 to 10 minutes (some people say to the color of brown sugar). 
2.     Slowly stir in the water.  Beat well.  Add the sugar and cardamom (first stir cardamon into sugar to disperse it evenly).  Cook until very thick, stirring constantly.
3.     Remove from the heat.  Mix in the raisins, pistachios and, if desired, the rose water. 
4.     Mound on a plate and serve warm, garnished with chopped pistachios and cinnamon & rose petals, or pour into a large mould or individual moulds, let rest for 10 minutes and then turn out while still warm.  The halva can also be spread in a buttered rectangular pan, chilled to harden, and cut into squares.
*Variations:
Add chopped pistachios, almonds, or cashews in step 3.
Replace water with canned peach juice, mango juice or milk.

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