İrmik Helvası — Turkish Semolina Halva

A warm, buttery semolina halva toasted until golden and sweetened with milk syrup and cinnamon.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 25 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 100g butter
  • 200g coarse semolina
  • 500ml whole milk
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 250ml water
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, to serve
  • Vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)

Method

  1. Heat the milk, sugar and water in a pan until the sugar dissolves, then keep it hot over a very low heat.

  2. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the semolina and stir constantly for 10 to 12 minutes until it turns a deep golden colour and smells nutty.

  3. Carefully pour in the hot milk syrup, standing back as it will spit, and stir vigorously.

  4. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until all the liquid is absorbed and the halva is thick.

  5. Cover the pan with a clean tea towel under the lid and rest for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

  6. Serve warm dusted with cinnamon, with ice cream if you wish.