First off all, a better label for this post would have been Persian fusion as I borrow ingredients from exotic subcontinent of India. Fusion however, could be also considered as modernization. So I stick to my good old labeling system.
According to Wikipedia:
"
Halva (or
halawa,
haleweh,
ħelwa,
halvah,
halava,
helava,
helva,
halwa,
aluva,
chałwa) refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, and the Jewish world".
There does not seem to be a way for me to claim that this dish is Persian, although we make it in some occasions in Persia, with applying our local ingredients of course.
Halva is a very simple confection-one the most primitive maybe- Persian common known halva is of flour based kind consisting of sugar, flour and clarified wheat butter. Here though, borrowing some Indian ingredients, I use rice flour as it relatively is finer than wheat flour and so goes more crispy while fried. Rice flour halva is common in southern Iran and mostly as a treat in weddings. Here is what you'll need:
1/4 cup sugar
2 mangoes
1 star anise pod(This will be the real star of the dish, with that mild heavenly aroma)
1 TSP rich saffron solution
1/4 cup ghee(or equal amounts of peanut oil and butter)
1/2 cup rice flour
2 to 4 TBSP single cream
For honey yogurt sauce
1 TBSP plain yogurt
1 TBSP Single cream
1/2 TSP Honey
Pinch of cinnamon and chili powder
Saving some for the garnish, peel and dice the mangoes
Add sugar, the star and saffron solution and heat.
To avoid lumps, double sift the flour. Heat the ghee in a pan and while stirring, slowly add the flour.
The secret tip as usual!
Keep stirring, you can burn it in a second.
Add the mango mixture.
To bring every thing together, add some cream depending on your crispiness and amount of heat applied.
Plate and garnish.
To prepare the honey yogurt sauce just mix the 3 ingredients and top with a pinch of Cinnamon ans chili powder. Chili powder will be the wow factor, and the taste will not linger in the mouth.
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