Halva Havij

Halva havij is a sweet Iranian confection made with carrots and cooked into a stiff paste. Havij means carrot, and the color and sweetness of the cooked carrots are added to the halva mixture. It is spread flat on a plate, decorated with nuts or petals, and served.

Combining Toasted Flour and Carrots

In one household’s recette (the proportions of ingredients and the method), the carrots are simmered with sugar and water and then mashed until smooth. In a separate pan, rice flour is toasted over low heat, and once it becomes fragrant, butter and the carrots are added and the mixture is stirred. It is flavored with saffron, cardamom, and rose water, and when the moisture has reduced and the mixture comes together, it is placed on a plate and left to cool. Mashing the carrots first spreads their color and flavor throughout a mixture that becomes one with the flour.

Sweets called halva vary in ingredients and form from region to region. Some, such as tahini halva, are based on sesame paste, while others, like this example, combine toasted flour with carrots. Some recipes use wheat flour instead of rice flour, so one particular type of flour is not necessarily required.

Grape Syrup and Walnuts from Urmia

Another method, bearing the name of Urmia in northwestern Iran, uses no flour and instead combines carrots, sugar, syrup made by boiling down grapes, and walnuts. Unlike the method in which toasted flour binds the mixture, this one holds everything together with the cooked-down carrots and syrup. In one example, the carrots are coarsely grated and heated with sugar, and once the moisture has reduced, grape syrup and walnuts are added. Cardamom and rose water are mixed in, and cooking until the syrup thickens produces a finish in which bits of carrot and walnut remain.

With Tea on the Winter Solstice Night and at Memorial Gatherings

In Urmia, it is sometimes taken as a souvenir and enjoyed with tea on Yalda, the night of the winter solstice, at religious observances, and at memorial gatherings. On the other hand, it may also be enjoyed at home as an everyday sweet. Even among sweets of the same name, some make the most of the toasted aroma of the flour, while others let you taste the carrots and walnuts in distinct pieces.

Glossary