Do you know what one of the best parts about winter is? It’s that special fragrance that comes from generous amounts of ghee or butter. It’s the heady aroma of paratha being roasted in ghee, the sizzle of the spices when they touch the hot makkhan (homemade butter), the hiss as a rainbow of vegetables slide into the butter for a winter-special stir fry. A mention of halva that has…
Whew… It’s still five days to Diwali but in our house on the fifth floor of an apartment, we are already feeling the effects. Doors and windows have to be kept closed after 8 pm to keep out pollution created by the insane amount of firecracker bursting. Wonder what will happen by the time Diwali comes in on Wednesday?
Diwali celebrations at the Bhaumick household have taken a comparatively sedate turn in the past few years. The firecracker buying-bursting process has taken a backseat to spending time with family, friends and food. But much more exciting and fun than this hustle-bustle of meet-greet-eat, is the prepping process.
The atmosphere is filled with electric energy as people scurry to wrap up chores before diving into celebrations with full abandon. Buying earthen diyas (clay lamps), getting the right amount of colour for rangoli (I always mess this up and have to rush halfway to buy colours) or planning the mithai (sweets), there’s a lot to be done. Airing the lace covers for the sofa set and obsessing over the cleanliness of the living room to ensure a warm welcome to guests while making sure the kitchen is well stocked with mithai, thanda and namkeen (sweet meats, cold drinks and savoury snacks) is something we look forward to.
This year, I’ve convinced Maa to step away from the tried and tested gulab jamun, jalebi, kaju katli, barfi, peda. “Let’s make something exotic and different,” I declared with a flourish, having pulled out a recipe from my stash and handing it to Maa.
Spectacles perched on the nose Maa perused the recipe and smiled. “This is like the flour halva your grandmother made when we were kids. Only, she never put these flavours and syrup,” she said as I pulled out the necessary ingredients. Fascinated by yet another example of cultural exchange through trade and travel in ancient times, I (and Maa too!) was convinced that my version of the ter khalvasy would be perfect as a Diwali mithai.
The ter khalvasy is a sweet snack that features prominently in Azerbaijan’s cuisine. With a base of wheat flour, this fudgy confection that oozes with butter and flavour, can be eaten warm or cooled down, cut into small pieces and served with some Azeri chai.
The key points of the adapted ‘Rose and Cinnamon Halva’ are cooking the wheat-butter mixture properly and getting the perfect sugar syrup. Traditionally, the Azeri ter khalvasy uses either rose water or ginger powder or cinnamon powder for flavour. But after some trial and error I realised that a combination makes for richer and tastier halva. At least to my taste buds.
Do make sure that you use bigger vessels to cook the two elements of this sweet dish. And don’t worry if the amount of sugar syrup seems too much. Leftovers can be saved in a bottle and as Kamini Patel of Kitchen Therapy suggested, can be used over pancakes and toasts or to sweeten drinks.
To learn more about Azerbaijan’s cuisine, read Chai, Halva & Azeri Hospitality and A Newbie’s Guide to Azeri Cuisine #Chapter 1 / #Chapter 2. For updates on recipes follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. You could also subscribe and be a part of the mailing list.
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