On a low temperature on the skillet, toast the pistachios, stirring regularly. You may alternatively bake them for 10 minutes at 150°C/300°F in a preheated oven. Regardless of the method, toast until gently browned and aromatic.
Place the pistachios on a platter and set them aside. Allow to cool before chopping roughly.
In a mixing dish, combine the tahini, vanilla extract, salt, and chopped pistachios.
Place some cold water in a small basin and set it aside. This is the water in which the sugar syrup firm ball stage will be tested.
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. The majority of the sugar is dissolved by stirring.
Bring the sugar and water to boil.
Bring the combination of sugar and water to a boil. Maintain a low-to-medium flame. Stir the sugar occasionally to ensure that it dissolves thoroughly.
Take a quarter teaspoon of syrup and drop it into the cold water. You should be able to remove the sugar ball and it should be a sticky paste.
If this is the case, remove the pan from the heat.
Stir the tahini mixture and add the sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream. Constantly mix.
Mix until the mixture comes together and begins to pull away from the bowl's sides. If you give in to the urge of adding extra ingredients to the mix, your halva will collapse.
Quickly transfer all the halva into the prepared platter.
Smoothen to the edges and the top. Let the halva cool to room temperature.
Cover with calling film and chill for atleast 2 hours.
Use the overhang and get the halva out of the pan. Flip on a cutting board then use a sharp knife to slice as desired.
Serve.
Notes
FAQs:
What is halva and how do you eat it?
Halva tastes sweet and is eaten as a snack with tea, coffee, wine, bread. Eat halva any time of the day. Halawa is a Middle Eastern dessert that is used as a topping for other desserts or stuffed in pita bread.
How is halva traditionally eaten?
The texture of halva can be anything from soft that can spread to hard and brittle. You can spoon the halva or cut it. Soft or semi-soft halva can be cut with a sharp knife.
Is Halawa the same as halva?
Yes, hawala is made from tahini and generally, sweets are called halva or halvah in the Middle East.