Author Notes
My mother makes a 'halwa' out of semolina, butter, cardamom, sultanas, sugar and slivered almonds. The consistency of her dessert is somewhat like mashed potatoes. I am a huge fan of farina and thought I could use the same ingredients my mother uses for halwa in this dish. The cardamom adds that earthy yet floral fragrance; the almonds a dimension of textural crunch; and who doesn't love pure Canadian maple syrup? Steam lifting off of the bowl with wafts of cardamom: reminiscent of my childhood. —shayma
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Ingredients
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2 tablespoons
butter
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2
cardamon pods, seeds extracted, pods discarded
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handful slivered almonds + more for garnishing
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1/2 cup
farina
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1 cup
water
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1 cup
milk
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1/4 teaspoon
salt
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handful golden sultanas + more for garnishing (my preferred sultanas are from Iran- found in any Persian market)
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pure maple syrup (I like Grade 'C' from Quebec, which is Amber)
Directions
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In a medium-sized frying pan (8in), melt butter on a low to medium flame.
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Add seeds from cardamom pods, slivered almonds and farina; saute till fragrant and the farina changes colour slightly - approximately 5-7 minutes.
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In the meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, bring water, milk and salt to a gentle, rolling boil.
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Slowly whisk in the farina till it thickens. If you feel you would like it thinner, keep a kettle of boiling water handy to play with the consistency.
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Add sultanas.
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Serve hot, garnished with more sultanas and slivered almonds.
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And then douse it with as much maple syrup as you like, straight into your bowl!
Shayma Saadat is a cookery teacher, food writer, stylist and photographer who focuses on the food of her heritage - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, which she refers to as Silk Route cuisine. Shayma lives in Toronto with her husband and son. You can follow her culinary journey on Instagram @SpiceSpoon.
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