afoona
Drinks

Traditional Halva Drink – Vegan version

A warm, indulgent halva drink with date syrup and spices, an age-old Arab tradition Vegan version: Date syrup (silan).

⏱ 6 hr 8 min🍽 2 servings 🌍 Middle Eastern👩‍🍳 Afoona

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade halva ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

  1. 1
    Grease parchment paper well and line a pan with it, so the paper comes up over the sides.
    Baking panParchment paper
  2. 2
    Put the sugar and water in a small pot, bring to a boil and cook another 6–8 minutes, until the syrup is thick and stringy.
    Small saucepanStove
    💡On a candy thermometer, the syrup is ready at 121°C.
  3. 3
    Beat the tahini in the mixer bowl with the paddle on low speed, raise to medium and pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl.
    Stand mixer
    💡The syrup is extremely hot: pour it slowly in a thin stream, and don't touch it.
  4. 4
    Beat until the syrup is fully absorbed into the tahini, add the vanilla and beat another 30–40 seconds.
    Stand mixer
  5. 5
    Transfer the mixture to the pan and press down well.
    Baking pan
  6. 6
    Leave at room temperature 6 hours at least, until the halva sets, and slice diced.
    Knife
    💡Halva keeps in the fridge up to two weeks.

For the Drink

  1. 7
    Dissolve the halva in the hot water, stirring vigorously.
  2. 8
    Add the date syrup and keep stirring.
  3. 9
    Add the cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.
  4. 10
    Heat gently, without bringing to a boil.
    StoveSmall saucepan
    💡Don't boil: boiling separates the drink and sharpens the bitterness of the halva. Heat only until it steams.
  5. 11
    Pour into glasses and serve hot.
  6. 12
    You can garnish with chopped almonds.
88calories
2 gprotein
11 gcarbs
4 gfat
● protein 8%● carbs 48%● fat 44%

Per serving, servings (calculated for this version)

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⚖ About the ingredients

🔧 Tools needed (2) · 🍳 One cooking vessel

  • Stove · 💡 Workaround, changes the dish: Portable hot plate (one weaker burner) · Camping gas stove (One burner, outdoors) · Electric pressure cooker (multicooker) (One pot, no real shallow frying)
  • Small saucepan · Also works: Pot (None) · Frying pan (A deep pan for sauces)

By the steps, as the recipe is built now: another version or addition can change the list.

🧩 Built from…

homemade halva → Hot Spiced Drink

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