This Turkish Semolina Halva or Irmik Helvasi is a delicious semolina dessert from Turkish cuisine. Made from just five basic ingredients , this halva is so easy and quick to make .
- Why you will love this recipe:
- Ingredients for Turkish Semolina Halva Versions of Semolina Halva
- Semolina Halva Recipe Method
- Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
I was recently talking to my Turkish-Cypriot friend about similarities in language, culture and food. She is the same friend who give me her Grandma’s delicious recipe for Instant Pot Cypriot Stuffed Peppers .
One such similarity we came across were semolina desserts.
Whilst in India Sooji no Siro (Semolina Halwa) is prepared, Turkish people prepare irmik helvası which is a dessert made with semolina flour, butter, milk, sugar and pine nuts.
She told me it is also known as semolina helva and is a traditional dessert commonly prepared during funerals but also other important life events or religious holidays.
Semolina flour halva is prepared mostly by home cooks and is not available in restaurants/outdoors.
This delicious dessert is served with a scoop of ice cream ( maraş dondurması) in the summer months or warm in the winter.
I had my semolina flour helva alongside a hot cup of Karak Chai (Qatari Tea)
Semolina Halva Recipe is different to Tahini Halva which is made with sesame seed paste, nuts and sugar. My Mum’s Tahini Pistachio Halva is one of my favourites.
I haven’t tried my hand at many traditional Turkish desserts but this buttery semolina halva is a wonderful introduction into Turkish culture.
Some Middle Eastern desserts I love to make are Instant Pot Revani , Air Fryer Baklava and this fusion Baklava Barfi (Baklava fudge)
Why you will love this recipe:
Made with simple ingredients
Easy to follow for first time cooks
Egg-free dessert that can be made vegan
The type of dessert you will want to make again and again
Enjoyed by every family member
Ingredients for Turkish Semolina Halva
Full measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Semolina – Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat. You will need coarse semolina. You can find coarse semolina in both Indian and Turkish grocery stores.
Butter – Instead of butter you can use oil such as sunflower oil, light olive oil or vegetable oil. Ghee would also work but it would taste more like an Indian halwa as opposed to a Turkish Halva!
Milk – I have used whole milk but you can use semi skimmed or skimmed milk too. To make this recipe vegan, use a dairy-free milk.
Sugar – I have used granulated white sugar.
Pine nuts – crunchy pine nuts stand this recipe apart!
Versions of Semolina Halva
Add a few drops of rose water
Vanilla extract
Orange zest or lemon zest
Cinnamon powder
Add grape molasses towards the end of cooking to give deeper colour and flavour
Vegan – Use vegan butter and plant-based milk.
Gluten-free – To make this recipe gluten-free, you need to use a gluten-free flour alternative such as rice semolina.
Semolina Halva Recipe Method
Follow this basic recipe for the most delicious semolina halva.
In a heavy bottomed frying pan, melt butter (or oil alternative) on medium heat.
Add the pine nuts, switch to a low heat and sauté until the nuts are light brown. Tip in the semolina and cook on medium-low heat.
You must continually stir the semolina to prevent it burning. The color of the semolina should be golden brown. This will take around 10-15 minutes.
I used a silicon spatula for my non stick pan, but you can use wooden spoon too.
Meanwhile, prepare the milk syrup.
In a separate saucepan, heat the milk, water and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
Once the semolina is a beautiful golden colour and smells roasted, pour over the sugar mixture.
Be careful here – the hot syrup can spit and burn you.
Add any extra flavourings at this stage.
Cook the helva until the moisture absorbs and the semolina becomes fluffy.
Plate up in a serving dish or in individual bowls. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To shape the halva, you can use silicone moulds or a small bowl or a spoon to make quenelles.
Bon appetit / afiyet olsun!
Tips
You need to cook the semolina for the right amount of time at low heat for the best results. Too high heat and the semolina will burn and if you do not cook for long enough, it will taste raw and will not absorb the milk well.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Semolina Halwa warm or cold. Often, cold halva is served with ice cream in the centre.
I quite like the sound of Turkish Delight Ice Cream next to warm semolina halwa. A bit like gulab jamun and ice cream!
Sprinkle over a little bit of cinnamon and serve with hot Turkish tea or coffee.
Serve after a meal or for parties or potlucks too.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in a microwave before consuming or leave it on a kitchen worktop for 1-2 hours and bring it to room temeprature.
Other Vegetarian Dessert Recipes
3 ingredients Chocolate Mousse without Eggs
Fresas Con Crema
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
Tapioca Pudding with Coconut and Mango
Baked Yogurt with Orange Syrup
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Turkish Semolina Halva (Irmik Helvasi)
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup semolina coarse
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts
Milk Syrup
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cup water
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed frying pan, melt butter (or oil alternative) on medium heat.
- Add the pine nuts, switch to a low heat and sauté until the nuts are light brown.
- Tip in the semolina and cook on medium-low heat.
- You must continually stir the semolina to prevent it burning. The color of the semolina should be golden brown. This will take around 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the milk syrup.
- In a separate saucepan, heat the milk, water and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
- Once the semolina is a beautiful golden colour and smells roasted, pour over the sugar mixture.
- Be careful here – the hot syrup can spit and burn you.
- Add any extra flavourings at this stage.
- Cook the helva until the moisture absorbs and the semolina becomes fluffy.
- Plate up in a serving dish or in individual bowls. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- To shape the halva, you can use silicone moulds or a small bowl or a spoon to make quenelles.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Turkish Semolina Halva (Irmik Helvasi)
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup semolina coarse
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts
Milk Syrup
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cup water
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed frying pan, melt butter (or oil alternative) on medium heat.
- Add the pine nuts, switch to a low heat and sauté until the nuts are light brown.
- Tip in the semolina and cook on medium-low heat.
- You must continually stir the semolina to prevent it burning. The color of the semolina should be golden brown. This will take around 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the milk syrup.
- In a separate saucepan, heat the milk, water and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
- Once the semolina is a beautiful golden colour and smells roasted, pour over the sugar mixture.
- Be careful here - the hot syrup can spit and burn you.
- Add any extra flavourings at this stage.
- Cook the helva until the moisture absorbs and the semolina becomes fluffy.
- Plate up in a serving dish or in individual bowls. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- To shape the halva, you can use silicone moulds or a small bowl or a spoon to make quenelles.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
This is the easiest Air Fryer Pasta Bake recipe that is perfect for lunch or dinner. Simply cook your favourite pasta, mix with pasta sauce, top with cheese and cook in the air fryer.
It is prepared with simple ingredients just like my One Pot Ricotta and Lemon Pasta .
- Ingredients for Air Fryer Pasta Bake (cheese and tomato)
- How to make Pasta Bake in Air Fryer
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- Air Fryer Recipes
If you’re wondering whether you can cook pasta bake in the air fryer? Let me tell you that you absolutely can and even in less time than oven baking thanks to the air fryer method!
Imagine a hearty pasta casserole topped with gooey cheese . Yum! Have you tried cooking your Vegetarian Eggplant Parmigiana in the air fryer? Or maybe this creamy Air Fryer Cauliflower Cheese ?
This is a great recipe for the whole family and a great option for a quick dinner. It is budget-friendly and easily customised to suit dietary needs.
I love that this pasta casserole recipe is super versatile and you can prep as little or as much as you want. I always use a homemade pasta sauce and cheese sauce but both are easily available in supermarkets and would drastically reduce the time.
The air fryer works by circulating hot air and crisps up the exterior of food.
This recipe is particularly useful if you are making pasta for lunch or to serve 2 for a main meal. No need to turn on the oven for and the cooking time is reduced.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Pasta Bake (cheese and tomato)
Full recipe with measurements can be found in the recipe card below where you can also leave a star rating
Pasta
The type of pasta you use is up to you. I like to use penne, rigatoni, elbow pasta or shells as they hold the most sauce however flat shapes like bowtie pasta are also fine to use.
You can make Air Fryer Baked Spaghetti if you use spaghetti instead of pasta shapes.
Gluten free pasta – for a healthy meal high in protein and gluten-free, use lentil pasta. I used lentil pasta to make these Tik Tok Air Fryer Pasta Chips . These crunchy pasta chips make for an healthy and easy snack instead of potato chips.
Pasta sauce – I have used sundried tomato and olive pasta sauce that I prepared in my Instant Pot
You can use store bought or my homemade marinara sauce
Add Indian flavourings like in this Indian style masala pasta .
White sauce – you can buy store-bought bechamel sauce or make your own homemade cheese sauce
Alternatively, mix in cream cheese with the red sauce
Cheese – I have used cheddar cheese. Other options include mozzarella, red leicester, parmesan cheese to name a few. You can also use vegan cheese.
Seasoning – I have used Italian seasoning. You may want to add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper for extra flavor
Variations
You may want to add in chopped vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers, aubergine or squash. Before adding to the dish, sauté in a frying pan with a little olive oil for 3-4 minutes.
How to make Pasta Bake in Air Fryer
I have used the Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer but you can use any other.
Start by cooking the pasta until just al dente as it will continue to cook in the air fryer.
Mix the cooked pasta with your choice of pasta sauce. I mixed tomato pasta sauce with a homemade cheese sauce.
Add any extras such as cooked veggies and/or seasoning.
Transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Which baking dish you use will depend on the size of your air fryer.
Top with plenty of grated cheese.
Place the baking dish in the air fryer basket.
Air Fryer at 180C or 360F for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and is golden brown and bubbling.
The pasta bake time will vary based on size of your casserole dish and air fryer model.
As a rule of thumb, I suggest starting from 8 minutes and upwards for any pasta dishes for example Air Fryer Baked Macaroni and Cheese .
Serving Suggestions
I love pasta for a quick lunch or dinner. A simple side salad would go great but you could also try this Tuscan White Bean Panzanella or Grilled Zucchini Ribbon Salad
This delicious Red Grape, Rosemary and Goat’s Cheese Focaccia works wonders as a side.
To get some protein into your meal, try this Chickpea salad with creamy avocado dressing
A batch of air fryer breaded mushrooms or air fryer avocado slices or air fryer cauliflower also make a great side.
For a low carb side, try these crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Courgette Fries) .
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can also prepare this pasta bake in advance and either keep in the fridge or freezer prior to cooking.
Cooked pasta bake can be frozen and reheated directly from frozen. Simply cover with foil and either cook in the air fryer or the oven until piping hot through.
Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Baked Potato (Microwave first) . Jacket Potatoes are first cooked in the microwave to make them soft and fluffy then air fried for crispy skin
Air Fryer Frozen Spring Rolls . Make crispy spring rolls from frozen. An easy snack that doesn’t require deep-frying.
Air Fryer Garlic Fries . Crispy fries are so easy to prepare in the air fryer.
Air Fryer Chestnuts . A great recipe for the holidays. I use my cooked chestnuts in Chestnut Hummus
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Air Fryer Pasta Bake
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Casserole dish Must be suitable for oven use. My dish is 22cmx18cm
Ingredients
- 250 grams pasta uncooked
- 500 grams pasta sauce I mixed tomato sauce and cheese sauce.
- 75 grams cheddar cheese
Optional
- 1 cup mixed vegetables cooked
Instructions
- Start by cooking the 250 grams pasta until just al dente as it will continue to cook in the air fryer.
- Mix the cooked pasta with your choice of 500 grams pasta sauce .
- I mixed tomato pasta sauce with a homemade cheese sauce.
- Add any extras such as cooked veggies 1 cup mixed vegetables and/or seasoning.
- Transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Which baking dish you use will depend on the size of your air fryer.
- Top with plenty of grated cheese. 75 grams cheddar cheese
- Place the baking dish in the air fryer basket.
- Air Fryer at 180C or 360F for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and is golden brown and bubbling.
- The pasta bake time will vary based on size of your casserole dish and air fryer model.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
