Traditional Semolina Halva, Just Like the Old Days
Text and photos by Giorgio Grigor
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Classic, traditional semolina halva ( in Greek: halva simigdalenio), prepared following the simple 1- 2-3-4 recipe passed down from one generation to the next. Perhaps no recipe has spread so easily with just a few numbers; you only need to remember the order of the ingredients…
Back in 1960, in Vrachati, Corinthia, every recipe notebook had the names of women attached to each recipe: Mrs Maria’s caramel custard, Sosso’s pie, Aunt Angela’s yoghurt dessert, Grandma Euterpe’s vasilopita, Grandma Marioutsi’s chocolate mousse. In my mother’s recipe book, even though it’s the classic 1-2-3-4 for semolina halva, it’s always been known as “Marigoula’s Halva” The whole house would fill with the aroma of toasted semolina, and I, as a little child, would wait—safely away from the dangerously hot pot—for a spoonful of warm, sweet halva. My job was to clean the fresh sultanas, the golden raisins my godfather brought, removing any remaining little stems. As I waited to be called to add them to the halva, I’d sneak a taste now and then!
Today, many years later, the same smell has filled my kitchen, taking me back in time, as if on a magic carpet, to when I sat at the table cleaning raisins… At least, I think to myself with a smile, recalling my mother’s sweet expression, “I learned the perfect toasting colour!” This rich, deep brown colour—not burnt, but perfectly toasted! My mother used to say that the lighter halva is better suited for the Politiko halva, like the one Grandma makes with milk and butter. But for classic halva, it should be roasted dark! She would always add sultana raisins, generously gifted from my godfather’s vineyards in Vrachati. Sometimes, she’d add almonds, pine nuts, or prunes, and I even remember adding bits of the blue-wrapped Pavlidis chocolate (a Greek brand, today under Suchard) my father loved.
Add whatever you love, whatever sparks your creativity. Let your imagination play, add a new twist to the flavour, but don’t go overboard—preserve the essence of traditional taste! Pine nuts, raisins, almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts are beautiful additions. But it’s still delightful even if you let it plain, as in the conventional way, with just a sprinkle of cinnamon! Today, I made one batch with raisins and another with prunes for my daughter, though I know she prefers it with chocolate.
There are many recipes for semolina halva, but the classic and foolproof one is the traditional with the 1-2-3-4 method. This recipe guarantees success every time and has firmly established itself in classic urban cuisine.
Ingredients
1 cup of oil (I now use half olive oil, half sunflower oil)
2 cups of semolina (1 cup coarse, 1 cup fine)
3 cups of sugar
4 cups of water
Preparation Method
You’ll need two saucepans for the recipe: a large one for roasting the semolina and a smaller one for preparing the syrup.
1. We start by making the syrup: Add the water and sugar to boil in a small saucepan with a bit of lemon and a cinnamon stick.
2. Add the oil and the semolina to the large one, stirring carefully to toast them. Be patient—don’t rush to remove them from the heat when they are slightly brown. It takes another couple of minutes for them to release their aroma and darken. It’s an art to get them right—not burnt, not pale, but “just right,” as my mother used to say!
3. Midway through toasting, add the raisins or prunes, allowing them to plump and soften.
4. Remove from the heat.
Now comes the tricky part! Wear a glove or wrap a towel around your hand, and slowly add the syrup to the toasted semolina, stirring constantly. Add a few spoonsful at first, keeping your hand at a safe distance to avoid burns from the bubbling mixture. Gradually pour the remaining syrup while stirring, then return the pan to the heat and stir until it thickens. Don’t let it thicken too much; it will firm up as it cools. The best consistency is achieved through practice. It should remain light and airy, firming up as it cools.
5. add chopped nuts or small pieces of chocolate, if desired, during the final stir.
6. Transfer the halva to a mould, cover it with a towel, and set it for about half an hour.
7. Unmold and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nuts. Enjoy!
The Little Secrets for Perfect Semolina Halva!
The most crucial element is the correct toasting, which no one can precisely teach you. How long it takes and how dark it should become depends on many factors. This “just right” toasting is something you, unfortunately, learn from experience. Start by removing it from the heat the first few times as soon as you notice a slight colour change, and with time and practice, you’ll learn to recognize the exact point that suits your taste.
The second key is to use a mix of course and fine semolina, just as Marigoula did, to ensure the halva is fluffy without becoming mushy from too delicate or grainy from using only coarse semolina.
My culinary adventures in the kitchen of Pandeli Restaurant in Istanbul taught me about Politiko Halva, the version with milk that’s not moulded but served fluffy after being fluffed with two forks! Ismail, the restaurant’s master chef, under the watchful eye of my father-in-law, taught me almost all the secrets of Grandpa Pantelis’s Istanbul-style cuisine!
Pandeli served this halva with kaymak ice cream… A warm, fluffy, white, dreamy Politiko halva would arrive at your table, topped with a sprinkle of ground green pistachio, and with the first spoonful, a “lava” of kaymak ice cream would ooze out! I remember and long for that taste and the stunning view of the Bosphorus, with the Galata Bridge visible beyond the iron railings of that Istanbul restaurant.
Here’s to making halva, always with sweet memories…
