| International Banana Halva |
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| Tuesday, 24 June 2008 | |
 Halva is a sweet dish popular throughout the Middle
East and many parts of Asia. Regional
variations has resulted in myriad different types of the dessert, from
Turkish-style sesame halva (made with a base of tahini then kneaded into a
tacky dough and served cold) to Indian halva (cooked with semolina wheat and
honey to a consistency similar to rice pudding). One thing most halva has in common is that it is extremely sweet. This recipe is made in the style of an Indian halva, but the addition of tahini gives it a Middle Eastern flavour and the sparing use of agave nectar makes it less sickly sweet than traditional versions. It's possible to use sugar in place of agave nectar, in which case use 1/2 cup sugar and add a little more water at step 5. 1/2 tbs vegan margarine 3 ripe bananas, sliced 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup agave nectar 1 tbsp tahini 1/4 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup toasted almond flakes Serves 2 1. Melt margarine over medium heat, add banana and fry for 5 mins. Take off heat and mash until smooth. 2. Return banana to heat and add 1/4 cup of water. Cook for 5 mins, stirring constantly. 3. Add agave nectar and 1/4 cup water and bring to a low simmer. Cook for 15 mins, stirring almost-constantly until the mixture thickens. 4. Remove from heat and stir through tahini and vanilla essence. 5. Top with almonds and serve hot or refrigerate until cold. WORDS: Lisa Dempster  |
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