Halawat Timman is a delicious Iraqi toasted rice flour dessert infused with the middle eastern flavours of rose water, cardamom and saffron.
As part of the MENA Cooking Club, this month we are sharing Iraqi food and the choices were:
- Pardah pilau (rice pie)
- Lis’an El Qa’thi (eggplant wrapped around meat)
- Halawat Timman (rice candy)
Despite having a whole month to work on this challenge, I kept procrastinating it for no reason up until the last minute. I am drafting this just six hours before publishing time. My mind was fixated on Pardah Pilav which apparently is present even in India. I wanted to make the Iraqi Dill Fava beans rice and use that in the pie but alas never got around to making it. I did not check the eggplant recipe as we are still on the no-meat days. And about Halawat Timman, I had scoured through google using all possible terms to get an idea but there seems to be just one recipe floating around and mostly copy-pasted. Maybe because I had my heart set on the Pardah pilav and the idea was just not very clear yet, I had no intention to make this simple dessert. But I did. For the love for MENA Cooking Club!
Ragee was fast asleep inside her den and it was time for my evening tea when the thought of giving this recipe a try got bigger. I was praying doesn't wake up until I get the halawat done and click a few pictures before the sun disappears. I have no idea how this Halawat Timman should look as there weren't any images anywhere or maybe not tagged with this name. The instruction is very simple and akin to Indian halwas methods. I was so glad my first attempt itself went smooth!
I chose to use my heart-shaped silicone moulds to plate the halawat, and it was only coincidental that it is V-day today. I got three heart servings but one of them was not the same size because I was taste testing a bit too much! 😀
Halawat Timman | Iraqi Toasted Rice Flour Halwa
Recipe adapted from Food.com by UmmBinat
Yields: 2 to 3 servings
INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup white sugar
1 ¼ cups of water
1 tablespoons ghee
¼ cup rice flour
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon rose water
fistful pistachios, toasted and crushed
1 ¼ cups of water
1 tablespoons ghee
¼ cup rice flour
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon rose water
fistful pistachios, toasted and crushed
METHOD
- Add sugar and water to a saucepan and keep it on medium flame and let it boil
- Meanwhile, melt the ghee in another non-stick shallow pan or pot
- Slowly start adding the rice flour to the melted ghee while stirring constantly
- Toast the rice flour by stirring until it starts to change to light golden colour and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the rice flour pan off the flame and keep it on the counter
- Switch off sugar water and gradually and carefully pour it into flour, stirring all the time to prevent lumping.
- Return the pan to the stove and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and comes off the sides easily.
- Add cardamom powder and rose water and mix again
- Spread onto plates or shape them with moulds and garnish the top with toasted almond slivers (that I missed) and crushed pistachio nuts
- Scoop and enjoy the simple sweet rice halawet!
As it was "oats-porridge" for dinner kinda day, I did not have much work in the kitchen. I waited for F to come home and we both ate these little hearts together before dinner! 🙂
TRIED THIS RECIPE?
I would love to hear from you. If you have made this recipe then do leave a comment below. If you like this recipe then do share the recipe link on Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Follow me on Instagram and mention @butfirstchaai or tag #butfirstchai so that I can see your creations!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!