Sunflower Seed Halva (Халва)

Sunflower Seed Halva (Халва)

Based on the recipe at russiancuisine.us

Ingredients:

2 cups sunflower kernels*

1½ cups flour

½ cup sugar

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup water

* We bought the sunflower kernals (unsalted) at our local Giant Foods in the bulk foods section.

Preparation of a Light-Colored (Untoasted Seed) Halva

Use a food processor or blender to finely grate the sunflower seeds.  I don’t see why you couldn’t chop them to any desired consistency, but typical Russian halvah is made of ground seeds that are of a consistency close to that of rough-ground flour.

For the batch I’m preparing today, I’m not going to toast the seeds any further than they may have already been.  Light-colored halva is reminiscent of store-bought variety that Anastasia has bought many times in St. Petersburg (i.e., it’s very light).  Later in this blog post, I’ll walk you through the toasting process with pictures of my first batch from a few months ago.

In a frying pan (cast iron is the best!), heat at medium until the flower reaches a light cream color.  If you’ve ever made a roux, dry-toasting flour seems to take less heat and time…so be careful.  Mix the flour frequently to ensure complete toasting.  You should turn the flame off about one minute before you expect the flour to reach the desired color.  This will give the pan enough time to cool down.

Once the flour has cooled, add it to the food processor and mix with the sunflower seeds.  This will not only mix the two completely, but also break up any remaining clumps of flour.

In a large saucepan, heat the half cup water and then add the sugar.  Mix well until the sugar dissolves and add the oil.  Add the sunflower-flour mixture and mix well to an even consistency.

Spread the halvah mixture in a glass or metal container.  I’m using a 6x6x2” Pyrex food storage container, which works perfectly for the task.  Chill in the refrigerator overnight until hard.  Remove from the container (if possible) and slice to serve with tea or dessert.

Making a Toasted Seed (Darker-Colored) Halva

You can alter the flavor of your halva by toasting the sunflower kernels before processing.  I haven’t experimented with different amounts of toasting, I presume the flavor will change with more or less toasting, much in way that coffee beans’ flavor changes with the intensity of roasting.

In a dry cast iron frying pan, add the sunflower seeds and heat over medium heat.  Stir frequently until the seeds have reached the desired consistency.