İrmik helvası (eer-meek hel-vah-suh), or semolina halva, is a cherished Turkish dessert with a rich flavour and comforting texture. It holds a special place in Turkish culture as it is traditionally shared as part of a memorial service called a mevlit, to honour the life of a loved one. However, it can be enjoyed at any time.
The simple yet delicious dessert is made by gently toasting semolina in sunflower oil until it achieves a golden, nutty aroma. A fragrant syrup infused with cinnamon, cloves and rose water is then carefully stirred in until a thick halva is made.
Until it is completely cool, irmik helvası is very pliable and can be shaped using different moulds to create elegant forms. We go for traditional simplicity with this recipe, using an oven dish and cutting into rectangles. You can also cut them into diamond shapes if you prefer.
İrmik helvası is usually served at room temperature or chilled when it is firm and set. However, at a mevlit it can be served warm and soft, wrapped in a freshly prepared Turkish flatbread, called bişi, which is very comforting. As a modern take on an after-meal dessert, irmik helvası can be served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent experience.
Medium/regular semolina gives irmik helvası a smoother texture than coarse semolina, but we use coarse semolina in this recipe for a richer, denser texture. The key thing to remember when making irmik helvası is to keep stirring after adding the syrup so that the mixture doesn’t clump or burn. It can require a strong arm, so be prepared! Also, you must remove both the syrup and semolina off from the heat before carefully and slowly adding the syrup, a little at a time, to the hot semolina to avoid it splattering.
Toasting the almonds prevents them from becoming moist when topping the wet irmik helvası. It also adds a wonderful almond scent to the sunflower oil, perfect for toasting the semolina. If you are not a fan of rose water, orange blossom water may be used instead for the syrup.
Makes 30 pieces | Preparation time: 5 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes | Additional time for cooling
Ingredients
Syrup | |
500g white sugar | 5 cloves |
1L water | 2 tbsp rose water |
5cm strip of a cinnamon quill (break up the quill to get the individual strip) | |
For the irmik helvası | |
500g coarse semolina | 125ml sunflower oil |
25g blanched almonds |
Hob heat settings
Method
For the syrup
Stir the sugar, water, cinnamon and cloves together in a large saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Place on a high heat while loosely covered for 10-15 minutes, or until the syrup starts to simmer.
Add the rose water and simmer while loosely covered for 5-10 minutes more. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves with a tea strainer and remove from the heat.
For the irmik helvası
While the syrup is being prepared, heat the sunflower oil on a high heat in a large saucepan and fry the almonds for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove the fried almonds and place on a plate lined with a paper kitchen towel to remove the excess oil.
Take the saucepan off from the heat and stir the semolina into the remaining oil. Return to a medium-high heat and stir continuously for 10-15 minutes, or until the semolina turns a dark golden sand colour (be careful not to burn it).
Remove both the syrup and semolina off from the heat. Spoon the syrup carefully and slowly, little by little, into the hot semolina while stirring continuously - be careful when doing this so that it doesn't splatter. Once all the syrup has been added, return to a medium-high heat and stir quickly for 5-10 minutes more, or until it is very thick like cookie dough (you should be able to hold a generous spoonful of halva vertically on your spoon without it falling off).
Wet a D5xW20xL30cm dish and add the irmik helvası, smoothing out with the back of a wet spoon. Cut the helva into 25 4x6cm rectangle or diamond shapes and add the fried almonds to the centre of each piece, gently pressing them in (see below picture).
Loosely cover the irmik helvası with a tea tray and tea towel, and leave to set for a few hours or preferably, overnight. Covering this way prevents it from cracking as it cools. The irmik helvası can be served at room temperature or chilled. It can also be served warm as soon as it’s made with ice cream on the side.