Yid.Dish: Halva, Two Ways (Raw and Pumpkin)

Raw Halva:

Recipe from Arrowhead Mills

1/2 cup Sesame Seeds (ground)

2 tablespoons Sesame Seeds (whole)

3 tablespoons Raw honey

1/4 cup Sesame Tahini (use the driest part of the jar)

1/8 teaspoon Almond extract

Grind 1/2 cup seeds in a blender. Mix ground seeds, whole seeds, tahini, honey and extract in a bowl all together until thoroughly blended. Roll into small balls or into a long roll and refrigerate.

Pumpkin Halva:

Recipe from Claudia Roden’s The book of Jewish Food

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp ground cardamom (or 3 seeds)

2/3 cup clotted or heavy cream

1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds and/or pistachios

This is a Bene Israel sweet from India. Roden calls for a fresh, good-flavored pumpkin, but canned pumpkin would do. Since she calls for 1 lb of fresh pumpkin, with some of the liquid boiled away, about 3/4 lb would probably be right.

Heat pumpkin to boiling, stirring often, and add sugar and cardamom. Continue cooking until thick and slightly jammy. Let it cool before folding in cream and nuts. Serve chilled or at room temperature.