Composition, useful properties and recipes of peanut halva. Whom can an oriental delicacy harm? How is halva eaten and what can be prepared from it?
Peanut halva is an oriental sweet, popular all over the world, which is easy to prepare at home. The treat is eaten in its original form or used as an ingredient for making hearty desserts. What are the benefits and harms of peanut halva for adults and children? More about these and other features of the nut dessert below.
The composition and calorie content of peanut halva
The standard composition of peanut halva includes the following main ingredients: ground nuts and granulated sugar. Various oils, molasses, flour and more can be used as auxiliary elements. Each manufacturer determines the set of additional ingredients at its discretion.
The calorie content of peanut halva per 100 g is 470 kcal, of which:
- Protein - 15 g;
- Fat - 33 g;
- Carbohydrates - 29 g;
- Dietary fiber - 0 g;
- Water - 0 g.
The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is 1: 2, 2: 1, 9, respectively.
Peanut halva contains a lot of nutrients that have a positive effect on human health: these are vitamins B1, B2, B6, PP, D and minerals - magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron.
Buyer advice! When choosing halva in a store, pay attention not only to its cost and composition - it is important that it has a fibrous structure, does not crumble much and is moderately dry. If it is too wet or grease stains stand out on its surface, it means that it was made in violation of technology or was stored incorrectly. Another sign of a low-quality product is caramel icicles, which can be seen on the break of the treat.
Useful properties of peanut halva
Not everyone knows, but even the medieval doctor Avicenna admired the beneficial properties of halva. He prescribed sesame halva to his patient speakers to improve the condition of the vocal cords.
Modern doctors talk about the great benefits of peanut halva for human health. Therapists and other medical professionals unanimously argue that this dessert should be present in the diet of most people.
Nutritionists focus on the fact that halva can harm a person's figure and you can eat no more than 10-15 g of this hearty delicacy per day.
The main beneficial properties of peanut halva:
- It has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, it is especially useful for women planning a pregnancy, since the product contains a large amount of folic acid, which is especially useful for the female body. For men's health, this substance also plays an important role, increases potency and improves overall well-being.
- Strengthens the immune system, protects against viruses due to the content of acids and vitamins of different groups.
- Rejuvenates the body, prevents the occurrence of premature skin aging processes - phospholipids are responsible for this action.
- It normalizes blood pressure, therefore, prevents the occurrence of various problems with the cardiovascular system - peanuts contain magnesium compounds and monounsaturated fats, which normalize blood pressure and metabolic processes in the body.
- Helps fight depression, improves mood - contains tryptophan, a substance that synthesizes the so-called hormone of happiness (serotonin).
- Optimizes brain function, as peanuts are rich in iron, niacin and other vitamins necessary for the normal functioning of the brain.
- Prevents the development of cancer - often for the production of halva, confectioners use oil extracted from peanuts, it is this substance that is actively used in traditional medicine as a prophylactic agent against the formation of malignant tumors.
On a note! Many housewives store peanut halva in manufacturer's packaging, but this is wrong. Experts recommend transferring the product to a glass container and placing it in the refrigerator. If you follow this advice, your dessert will stay fresh for 2 months.
Contraindications and harm of peanut halva
Harm of peanut halva for diabetics obvious. The high-calorie sweet food can help raise blood sugar levels and gain weight quickly. If you are trying to lose pounds, halva is taboo for you.
Allergy to seeds and nuts
- another reason to refuse dessert.
There are also a number chronic diseases, including the stomach, in which halva should not be consumed. Therefore, if you suffer from any chronic pathology, before buying it, consult with your doctor - perhaps, sweetness is contraindicated for you.
Skip dessert if you have your stomach hurts or you feel a heaviness in your stomach … Halva is rich in fats and carbohydrates, therefore, the human gastrointestinal tract is rather difficult to digest.
Do not forget about the harmful additives that some manufacturers abuse. If you regularly consume this delicacy, you should consider making homemade peanut halva without synthetic flavor stabilizers and flavors.
Buy loose peanut halva with a shelf life of about 2 months, but not more. If the treat is glazed with chocolate, the shelf life can be up to 6 months. If in front of you is not glazed halva by weight with a shelf life of 3 months or more, the product contains preservatives and other unnatural ingredients that can harm human health.
How to cook peanut halva?
Every housewife should know how to make peanut halva at home. First of all, this dessert is healthy and should be present in the diet of a person who cares about their health. The process of making sweets is carried out in several stages and takes about 60 minutes in time.
Step-by-step recipe for peanut halva:
- Buy 1 tbsp. roasted peanuts, or bake raw peanuts yourself in the oven. To do this, place it on a baking sheet and leave in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- After that, let the nuts steep in the turned off oven for 15 minutes. Refrigerate peanuts and grind until flour. If you don't have a blender, you can use a meat grinder for this.
- Toast 1 tbsp. wheat flour without using oil and do the same with 50 g of sesame seeds.
- In a deep plate, dilute 1 tbsp. granulated sugar with 5 tbsp. l. hot water. Wait for the granulated sugar to dissolve in the water.
- Add 100 g of soft butter, toasted sesame seeds and peanut flour to the resulting sugar syrup. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and add 1 tbsp. wheat flour. As a result, you should get an elastic dough with a uniform structure.
- Shape the dough into any shape and place it in cheesecloth.
- Put cheesecloth with halva in a plate, and place a small weight on top, thanks to which the delicacy will become more solid.
- Let the halva steep in a cool place for several hours.
Advice for the chef! If you want a crumbier dessert, don't completely dissolve the syrup sugar.
Do you want to please yourself with halva, but are afraid to gain weight from high-calorie sweetness? Try the healthy, sugar-free halva:
- Fry 300 g of peanuts in a dry frying pan until golden brown.
- Grind the nuts in a blender until they become sticky.
- Take half the flour from the blender bowl, mix it with 1 tsp.flower honey.
- Add 4 peeled dates to the remaining flour. Grind peanuts with dates. It is important to choose fresh and juicy dates, then they will release enough oil to hold the halva together.
- Combine flour with honey and dates and form into a loaf. Dessert is ready, bon appetit and good health!
Recipes for dishes and drinks with peanut halva
You can make peanut halva not only for pure consumption, but also for making fantastic desserts. The following recipes are selected according to the principle of the least time consuming. You can safely delight guests with such desserts during various solemn celebrations:
- Mannik with halva … Mix sour cream with semolina in a 1: 1 ratio and refrigerate for 60 minutes. Whisk 100 g butter with 1 tbsp. Sahara. Add 3 chicken eggs to the beaten mass and use the mixer again. After an hour, remove the semolina from the refrigerator and mix it with the following ingredients: 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. wheat flour and egg mixture. Pour the finished dough into a baking dish, top it with peanut halva in any quantity you prefer. Bake the pie for 1-1.5 hours.
- Instant vanilla pie with halva … Beat 3 chicken eggs with 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and 1 pack of vanilla sugar. Add 1 tsp to the resulting mixture. soda, quenched with vinegar, and 1 tbsp. wheat flour. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. The cake can now be shaped. Pour half of the prepared dough onto a baking sheet. Pour 100-150 g of chopped peanut halva on top of it. Spread the rest of the dough over it. Bake the treat for 30 minutes. The finished pie can be served by cutting into pieces. If you have the time and desire, decorate the dessert with chocolate icing or topping of any taste. Sprinkle with coffee beans.
- Ice cream with halva … First, let's make ice cream. Beat 2 egg yolks with 80 g sugar until thick foam. Heat slightly 200 ml of cream (choose fatty, at least 33%). Combine the cream with the yolks and add 80 ml of espresso coffee to them. Put the resulting mixture on fire and cook until it becomes thick. Chill the future ice cream and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes (for this it is better to pour the mass into a tightly closed container). After half an hour, add 50 g of peanut halva to the ice cream and return the mass to the freezer until it freezes completely.
- Halva cupcake … In separate bowls, beat 250 g of sour cream (it is better to take 2%) and 3 chicken eggs with 0.5 tbsp. granulated sugar. Combine sour cream with eggs, add 250 g of peanut halva and mix thoroughly. Pour 0.5 tbsp into the resulting mixture. wheat flour and 1 tsp. baking powder. Pour the dough into baking tins. Sprinkle the finished cake with powdered sugar.
Drinks with the addition of halva are distinguished by their original taste and increased satiety. You can get drunk and full at the same time with such a delicacy. We present 2 simple recipes for drinks with halva:
- Dessert drink … Brew 130 ml of your favorite coffee and strain to remove any thickening. Add 10 ml of any syrup of your choice to the hot drink, for example, maple. Cool the resulting mass a little. Meanwhile, whisk the contents of 1 packet of cream with 50 g of peanut halva. Add already chilled coffee with cream to this. Whip the finished cocktail one more time and pour into glasses.
- Latte with halva … Brew 100 ml of coffee latte. Using a blender, beat 150 ml of milk with 50 g of peanut halva. Add 1 tsp to the mixture. honey and pour everything into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, but do not boil. In a separate bowl, beat 50 g of milk until frothy. Pour coffee into a latte serving glass, then boiled milk. Decorate the drink with milk froth. For the preparation of this drink, it is best to use milk with a fat content of 3.2%.
Interesting facts about halva
Halva is in great demand among sweet tooths from all over the world. Among the inhabitants of eastern countries, there is an opinion that sweets, like pharmaceutical medicines, can cure a person from a number of different diseases. Some peoples believe that sweets help childless couples conceive a child.
Halva is present in many folk tales and myths, it is mentioned in the work "A Thousand and One Nights". In a more modern cartoon, "Aladdin" is also not without her. It is halva Aladdin who orders his gin to set the table.
For the first time they learned about halva in Persia, a local chef came up with a recipe for delicacies in the 5th century. BC NS. especially for a king named Darius I. From Persia, the secret of the preparation of the product spread to all eastern countries. Each nation made its own adjustments to the original recipe, so the world became aware of many variations of halva, which is made not only from seeds, but also from cereals, nuts, fruits and even vegetables.
Historians find it difficult to answer the question of who brought the sweet to Russia. Some suggest that this was done by a Greek who organized the industrial production of halva in Odessa. There are other versions: for example, some scientists suggest that the recipe for halva was suggested to a Russian merchant by his foreign wife.
How to cook peanut halva - watch the video:
Peanut dessert is beneficial for almost all internal systems of a person, if consumed in moderate doses. It should be abandoned by diabetics, obese and people suffering from pancreatic diseases. Preparing peanut halva at home is quite simple, but if there is no time for this, you can buy a treat at almost any grocery store.
