Vegetarian sweets

angela137, Apr 12, 12:57am
I've just had the most delicious Hare Krishna Vegetarian dish.It was semolina with dates and bananas - does anyone know what the receipe could be?I would ask the person who served me but it was a take out at a stalland I'm at home now.Am thinking I should just boil up the semolina and bung in the dates and then sliced banana at the end and see if it comes out ok.It had a porrigy consistancy but firmer and was just devine!!!

davidt4, Apr 12, 1:03am
It sounds like a halva of some sort.Here's a basic recipe for you to play around with - obviously the first amendment is to substitute dates for the raisins.

Semolina Halva with Raisins

4 tab ghee
90g golden raisins
75g cashew nuts, chopped
155g fine semolina
6 green cardamom pods
680 ml water
185g sugar
½ tsp saffron threads, crushed

In a large shallow pan over medium heat combine 2 tab ghee, raisins and cashews.Stir over heat until the cashews are golden, transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining ghee and the semolina to the pan, stir 4 min until golden brown.Transfer to another plate.

Take seeds out of cardamom and crush to a powder.

Wipe pan clean, add water and sugar, bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.Boil without stirring 5 minutes until syrupy.Add saffron.

Reduce heat to low, add semolina and stir 7 - 8 minutes until thick.Add cardamom and fried nuts and raisins, combine well and leave to cool.

When cool enough to handle pack into small moulds, mini-muffin tins etc.When completely cold unmould.

Will keep in fridge 5 days.

angela137, Apr 12, 1:36am
Thanks I think by looking at the ingredients you have abovethat combination of flavours may just be what it was...will try it out this weekend thank you.

elliehen, Apr 12, 5:14am
angela, I used to go to a Hare Krishna restaurant in Christchurch where they served a delicious couscous with fruit and nuts in it.You could be quite creative and come up with something good to eat, I'm sure.

emmapear, Apr 12, 1:41pm
That cous cous would have been semolina halava as i used to work at that restaurant and to my knowledge they never served couscous there,

Flaked Almond, Saffron and Sultana Halava

To many aficionados of Hare Krishna cooking worldwide, halava rates on top
of the list of their favourite dishes. It's hot, buttery, sweet, flavoursome
and completely satisfying, especially on a cold winter's day. In this
recipe, the humble semolina teams up with the world's two most expensive
spices - saffron and cardamom. Enriched with sultanas and flaked almonds,
serve fluffy, plump grained halava hot with cream, custard, or as is for an
epicurian experience.

Preparation and cooking time: about 30 minutes.
Makes enough for 6-8 persons (or 4-6 halava addicts !)

2 3/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon saffron strands, soaked in 1 tablespoon boiling hot milk
140g unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups coarse grained semolina
1/3 cup flaked almonds
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/3 cup sultanas

Combine the water, sugar and the soaked saffron in a 2-litre/quart
saucepan. Place over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring
to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and cover with a tight-fitting
lid.

Melt the butter in a 2- or 3-litre/quart saucepan over low heat,
stirring occasionally. Add the semolina, and slowly and rhythmically
stir-fry the grains for about 20 minutes, or until they darken to a tan
colour and become aromatic. Add the flaked almonds to the grains towards
the end of the toasting process.

Raise the heat under the syrup, add the cardamom and the sultanas,
and bring it to a rolling boil. Raise the heat under the semolina for 1
minute, stirring continuously. Remove the saucepan of semolina from the
heat, and slowly pour the hot syrup into the semolina, stirring steadily.
The grains may at first splutter, but will quickly cease as the liquid is
absorbed.

Return the halava to the stove and stir steadily over very low heat
until the grains fully absorb the liquid, start to form into a pudding-like
consistency, and pull away from the sides of the pan. Place a tight-fitting
lid on the saucepan and cook over the lowest possible heat for 5 minutes. A
heat-diffuser works well. Removed the covered saucepan from the heat and
allow the halava to steam for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot.