Here is a delicious Middle Eastern style No cook Tahini Halvah for the festival of Sankranti. Halvah is the Arabic word for “sweet”. It is a general term used around the world for a sweet treat that can take many forms.

Even though this is a sweet treat, each serving (about 1 inch cube) contains just 85 calories and on top of it, this has the goodness of sesame and honey .

Halva (also known as helva or halvah) is one of the most famous Middle Eastern desserts. Halva is also popular in Western, Central and South Asia, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Malta, North Africa and the Horn of Africa.

The ingredients and the method of preparation differ from one region to another. But Halva remains a popular dessert recipe everywhere. The version presented here is the no cook version and instead of using store bought Tahini, I prepared simple sesame paste at home.

In India, it is customary to consume various delicacies prepared with sesame seeds during the festival of Sankranti. This easy, no cook, one pot recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser and has a long shelf life. The ingredients for this no cook Tahini halvah are very basic pantry ingredients available in most of the indian kitchen.

I am slowly building my collection of Sankranti special recipes. Please do check my related posts for

MILLET PONGAL WITH CHUTNEY, BRAHMIN STYLE PONGAL

or RANGA ALUR PULI PITHE, FESTIVAL DELICACY FROM BENGAL

Tahini halvah (Hebrew: חלווה) is very popular in Israel and among Jewish people.it usually comes in slabs, nearly-cylindrical cake or small packages, and is available in a wide variety of flavours, chocolate and vanilla being very common.

No Cook Tahini Halvah, Famous Middle Eastern Dessert

Here is a delicious Middle Eastern style No cook Tahini Halvah for the festival of Sankranti. Halvah is the Arabic word for "sweet". It is a general term used around the world for a sweet treat that can take many forms.

Ingredients for making Tahini Paste/Sesame Paste at home

• 2 cups white sesame seeds (or, you can use 2 cups of store bought Tahini Paste.)

Other Ingredients

• ½ cup honey (use maple syrup for the vegan version.)
• 1 cup almond or coconut flour
• 1 cup milk powder (for the vegan version, you can increase the quantity of almond or coconut flour to 2 cups and omit milk powder.)
• 2 tsp rose water
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup pistachios

How to make sesame/tahini paste at home.

1. Gently toss sesame seeds in a pan on low flame till the seeds turn golden and crisp. This will take about 5 -8 minutes.

   
   
   

2. Let the seeds cool for a while. Then add them to a high speed blender. For making any nut butter, it is suggested to use a high speed blender. I used vitamix.

   
   
   

3. Blend for a minute, then scrape down the sides. Then again blend. Continue to blend and scrape till the seeds turn into a smooth liquid paste.

   
   
   

4. You can skip these steps if using store bought Tahini paste. In that case, continue with the remaining steps.

5. Add honey, almond or coconut flour, milk powder, salt, rose water and vanilla extract along with sesame paste.

   
   
   

6. Mix everything together till well combined. You can do this in the blender itself if you use it for making sesame paste. Else, do it in a pan.

   
   
   

7. Add pistachios or any other nut of choice.

   
   
   

8. Line any loaf or cake tin. I used a 4×8 loaf pan.

   
   
   

9. Spread the mixture eventy in the lined pan.

   
   
   

10. Refrigerate at least for 2 hours. You can even refrigerate this for as long as 6 months.

    
    
    

11. Take out when you want to consume. Slice into desired shape and serve. This recipe will yield about 32 pieces of about an inch cube.

    
    
    

For making any nut butter, it is suggested to use a high speed blender. I used vitamix.