In Greek: χαλβάς με αμύγδαλα, pronounced hal-VAHS meh ah-MEEGH-thah-lah
This recipe for halvas calls for almonds and raisins, and the result is a delightful pudding, topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon. A Lenten favorite, halvas contains no eggs or dairy products.
Ingredients:
- FOR THE SYRUP
- juice of 1 orange
- grated peel of 1 orange
- 5 cups of water
- 3 cups of sugar
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 5-6 whole cloves
- ----------
- FOR THE PUDDING
- 2/3 cup of sunflower oil
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups of coarse semolina
- 1/2 cup of fine semolina
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup seedless raisins
Preparation:
In a saucepan, combine all syrup ingredients and boil for about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.In a soup pot or deep frying pan, preheat oil over medium-high to high heat. Add semolina slowly, stirring constantly. (The longer it cooks, the darker it will become.) Add almonds and when they start to brown, add raisins.
Remove pan from heat (don't turn off the burner) and slowly and carefully (it will boil and spatter so protect hands and arms) stir the syrup into the semolina mixture. Return to heat and continue stirring until the mixture pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan. It will still be a loose mixture - it will set later on in the process.
Remove the pan from heat and cover with a clean towel for 10 minutes.
Spoon into a large (or individual) mold and cool.
When the pudding has cooled to room temperature, remove from mold(s), sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.
