Ramadan recipes: Indulge with a sweet treat of South Asian halva

Fancy a sweet treat to break your Ramadan fast? As the month goes on, you may find yourself stretched for ideas, so why not try out this oh-so-easy recipe for a traditional South Asian delight.

As Muslims across the world abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk, the chefs of the household could find it challenging to come up with different treats every evening… but fear not!

Step-by-step recipe

Ingredients:

3 Cups Flour
1/4 Tsp Zafran (Saffran)
1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp Ginger Powder
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Oil
1/2 Tsp Cardamom
2 Tbsp Rose Water
1 oz (28g) Butter

Preparation:

Soak the Zafran (saffron) in boiling water for 30 Minutes.

Method:

1. Pour 3/4 cup sugar in a pot.

2. Add 1 cup boiling water, the cardamom and the rose water to the pot, and stir.

3. Bring the mixture to boil over medium heat and let it simmer for 10 Minutes.

4. Pour 3 cups flour in a large pot and heat the pot over low heat, keep stirring the flour until it becomes darker.

Note: It is important to keep stirring so the heat spreads across the flour evenly and avoids burning.

5. Sift the heat flour in a colander and pour it back into the pot.

6. Add the butter, stir and then add 1 cup oil and mix thoroughly.

7. Heat the mixture over low heat, keep stirring until the mixture changes it's color to light brown or brown (as preferred).

8. Pour the Zafran in a small cup and cocoa powder and ginger powder in separate cups.

9. Add the (Sugar, rose water, cardamom) mixture to each cup and mix thoroughly.

10. Divide the flour mixture in 3 separate bowls and apply each flavor mixture from the previous step to each bowl and mix until the mixture looks like a soft dough.

11. Spread and stack the dough on top of each other.

12. Cut it in any shape you would like.

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Uwe Micheel is the President of the Emirates Culinary Guild and is the Director of Kitchens at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai.