Arabic recipesSweets
Halawat al-Smid: Syrian Toasted Semolina Dessert with Ghee & Qishta
Halawat al-Smid is a comforting 25-minute Damascene dessert made by toasting medium semolina in clarified ghee until golden and nutty, then steaming it tender with warm milk, mastic, and orange blossom water. Spooned warm around cool Arabic qishta cream and crushed pistachios, it needs no oven.
Also known as:Syrian toasted semolina halawaHalawet el-smeed with ashtaWarm Levantine semolina pudding
Servings6
Prep time10 min
Cook time15 min
Ingredients
Add ingredients to cart- 250 g medium-coarse semolina
- 3 tbsp pure ghee (samna)
- 180 g sugar
- 700 ml warm whole milk (or half milk and half water)
- 3 small tears Greek mastic gum crushed fine with 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 340 g thick Arabic qishta cream and 80 g chopped green pistachios to serve
Preparation Steps
- 1Melt the ghee in a wide heavy saucepan over medium-low heat and stir the semolina continuously for 7 to 8 minutes until evenly golden blonde and fragrant.
- 2Carefully stream in the warm milk and sugar while whisking briskly to keep the hot semolina smooth.
- 3Lower to the gentlest flame, stir in the crushed mastic and orange blossom water, and steam covered for 5 minutes until soft and plush.
- 4Spread warm on a platter topped with clouds of cool qishta, or mould inside small bowls around a hidden centre of qishta and invert onto plates.
- 5Scatter generously with green pistachios and serve warm or at room temperature.
