Ingredients
Batter
- 400 grice flour
- about 500 ml water
- a pinch of salt
Filling
- 500 ghazelnuts, coarsely ground
- 300 gsugar
- 1 tspground cardamom
- 1 tspground coriander seed
- a pinch of cinnamon
Syrup
- 500 gsugar
- 250 mlwater
- a generous pinch of saffron
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- 1 tbsprosewater
To fry
- ghee or clarified butter, in quantity
To finish
- chopped hazelnuts
- a saffron pattern painted on top
Equipment
- a perforated ladle or a funnel with several holes
- a wide flat pan, a saj
Directions
- Make the batter first: whisk the rice flour with water into a thin, smooth, pourable liquid. It should be about the consistency of single cream and completely lump-free, so pass it through a sieve.
- Boil the sugar and water with the lemon juice for about 10 minutes to a light syrup. Add the saffron and let it steep, and stir in the rosewater once it is off the heat. The syrup should be pourable when warm and should not set hard when cold, so stop short of a thread stage.
- Mix the ground hazelnuts with the sugar, cardamom, coriander and cinnamon. Keep the pan at a steady moderate heat rather than fierce, because scorched threads taste burnt and go brittle.
- Fill the perforated ladle with batter, holding a finger over the holes. Keep the ladle moving. Build up a full layer covering the pan, then let it set for a minute.
- Lift it out carefully and set it aside, then make the next. You need several sheets, and expect to lose some while you learn. Lay down a lattice sheet, scatter a layer of the nut mixture over, then another sheet, and repeat.
- Press each layer down gently as you go, so the finished halva holds together when cut. Now pour warm ghee over the whole tray, letting it soak through. Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden and crisp. Now pour the warm saffron syrup over it while it is still hot from the oven.
- Let it stand and absorb for several hours, and preferably overnight. It keeps a week or more and travels well, which is why visitors to Sheki come home with a tray of it.
Technique
- The lattice ladle is sold in Azerbaijani markets and is specific to this sweet.
- Sheki halva is protected as a local speciality and the town’s shops are the benchmark.
- It is completely unrelated to sesame or semolina halvas.
Substitutions
- A funnel with several holes drilled, or a squeeze bottle with a multi-hole cap.
- Walnuts in place of hazelnuts, which some makers use.
Variations
- Made with walnuts.
- With a heavier saffron syrup.
- Made in individual small rounds.
History
Speciality of Sheki in the north-west, made by families who guard the lattice technique and sell it by the tray.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sheki halva?
Sheki halva is a dessert from Azerbaijan: lattice of rice-flour threads layered with nuts and saffron syrup. Speciality of Sheki in the north-west, made by families who guard the lattice technique and sell it by the tray.
How long does Sheki halva take to make?
Sheki halva takes 1 hr of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 tray, about 20 pieces. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Sheki halva?
Yes, within limits. A funnel with several holes drilled, or a squeeze bottle with a multi-hole cap. Walnuts in place of hazelnuts, which some makers use.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sheki halva?
Mix the ground hazelnuts with the sugar, cardamom, coriander and cinnamon. Keep the pan at a steady moderate heat rather than fierce, because scorched threads taste burnt and go brittle.
