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Beautiful Istanbul, where the hearts beat fast now – how I long to be there
It has been very hard being away from home at this troubled times at my beloved, beautiful homeland, Turkey. I am immensely proud of all the brave folks out there standing up right for their basic human rights; all mothers and sisters banging their pots and pans in their homes to raise their voice. The kind, generous citizens of Turkey deserve to have the right to live with dignity, to express how they feel in this beautiful land.
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I bought so many Turkish flags during my visit to Istanbul, now I wished I bought even more
I am very saddened to hear the injured, the lost souls, simply heartbreaking. Our Turkish flags are up and on the rise in England, in full support for humanity.
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New hopes, new growth; one of my favorite flowers, allium, just appeared in the garden
I am hopeful; just like this new growth appeared in my garden, I feel the seeds of hope are up and coming. Our heart is with you, Turkey, as always – Kalbimiz Sizinle Turkiye.
Semolina Halva with Pine Nuts – Irmik Helvasi
This has been a long overdue post and I felt the need to share. The semolina halva is amongst the foods that is dear to my heart. I love the comforting Semolina (Irmik) halva and its inviting aroma takes me right back home.
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Buttery semolina with crunchy pine nuts and cinnamon, delicious and comforting – takes me right back home
Irmik Helvasi, Semolina halva is one of the most well known halvas in Turkey. Halva (helva) signifies good fortune and is made not only during religious festivals, but also events like moving houses. It is also traditional for a bereaved family to offer semolina halva to friends when a family member passes away.
Although Irmik helvasi, Semolina Halva, is made with such simple ingredients like semolina, butter, sugar and pine nuts, it requires skill to get it right and is regarded by some as a culinary masterpiece. The silky blend of buttery semolina with crunchy pine nuts offers such a wonderful blend of texture and taste; the dust of cinnamon over halva complements really well too.
Many versions of semolina halva are available in different cuisines; Turkish version of semolina halva uses coarse semolina, rather than the semolina flour. You can find coarse semolina in Turkish, Middle Eastern shops; even at shops specializing in Mediterranean cuisine. In the US, the online Turkish store Tulumba.com also carries coarse semolina.
I hope you enjoy this comforting, delicious semolina halva.
Adapted from Ghillie Basan’s The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking
Serves 6-8
110gr/4oz/1/2 cup butter
60ml/4 tbsp light olive oil
450gr/1 lb. /scant 2 ¾ cups coarse semolina – irmik –
45ml/3 tbsp pine nuts
900ml/1 ½ pints/ 3 ¾ cups milk – whole milk preferred-
335gr/12oz/1 ½ cup sugar
10 ml/ 2 tsp ground cinnamon to decorate
15ml/1 tbsp sautéed pine nuts to decorate – optional
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Stir in the pine nuts and semolina to cook with the butter and olive oil.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a heavy pan, stir in the pine nuts and semolina and cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until lightly browned.
In the same time, warm the milk in a separate pan and stir in the sugar, mix well and let the sugar dissolve. Turn the heat off once the milk is hot (but not boiling) and sugar is dissolved.
Pour the milk & sugar mixture into semolina & pine nuts mixture and lover the heat. Mix well and cook over low heat until the milk has been absorbed; stirring continuously for about 10-15 minutes. Turn the heat off. Place a paper towel over the pan and cover with the lid, let the helva rest for about 10 minutes – the paper towel will absorb all the excess moisture-.
If you like, sauté 1 tablespoon pine nuts in a drizzle of olive oil for a few minutes. Spoon the semolina halva into individual bowls, and serve with a dust of cinnamon and a few sauteed pine nuts over them.
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Coarse Semolina Halva – Irmik Helvasi
Afiyet Olsun,
Ozlem