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Semolina and pistachio halva

Semolina and pistachio halva

Desserts

A comforting Turkish dessert: toasted semolina with butter and pistachios, cooked in a mixture of milk and water sweetened with sugar, served warm or cold.

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Recipe from Joseph, Kadı, Nosferatü and 1 other contributors (Wikibooks), adapted by Recette de cuisine · · updated on

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Semolina halva is a simple yet delicious Turkish dessert. The semolina is slowly toasted with pistachios, then cooked like a pilaf in sweetened milk. It can be served warm or cold, and is typically flavored with cinnamon.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time10 min
  • Cook time45 min
  • Resting5 min
  • Total1 hr
  • DifficultyEasy
  • CostBudget
  • Cooking methodjar
  • Estimated cost$2.67 $0.45 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 7, 2026.
  • Vegetarian

Ingredients

6 people
  • $1.16
  • $0.77
  • $0.20
  • $0.34
  • $0.06
  • $0.14

Prices from US supermarkets for 4 of 6 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Place the butter, margarine, semolina, and pistachios in a pot. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a golden-yellow color.
  2. Add the sugar and mix for a few turns. ≈ 4 min
  3. Mix the water and milk together, then gradually pour them over the semolina while stirring. ≈ 4 min
  4. Once it comes to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to a minimum, and cook as you would a pilaf, until the liquid is completely absorbed.
  5. Place a paper towel on top of the pot, cover it with the lid, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
  6. Sprinkle with walnuts and cinnamon to your liking, then serve warm or cold. ≈ 2 min

The bill

Semolina and pistachio halva

  • 1 cup of semolina (approximately 200g)$1.16
  • 1/2 small glass of pistachios (about 50g)$0.77
  • 1 glass of milk (approximately 200 ml)$0.20
  • 1.5 cups of powdered sugar (approximately 300g)$0.34
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable margarine$0.06
  • 1 tablespoon of butter$0.14

Total$2.67

that's $0.45 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

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Before you start

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of semolina (approximately 200g)
  • 1/2 small glass of pistachios (about 50g)
  • 1 glass of water (approximately 200 ml)
  • 1 glass of milk (approximately 200 ml)
  • 1.5 cups of powdered sugar (approximately 300g)
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable margarine
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • Walnuts and cinnamon, for serving

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