🍮 Omani Halwa
Omani halwa is a dark, glossy, sticky sweet cooked for hours from starch, sugar and ghee until it becomes thick and elastic. It is scented with rose water and saffron and finished with cashews. Rich and fragrant with a chewy, jelly-like texture, it is eaten in small spoonfuls with bitter Omani coffee (kahwa).
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g cornstarch
- 700 ml water
- 400 g sugar (part caramelized for color)
- 100 g ghee
- 2 tbsp rose water
- 1/2 tsp saffron
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 50 g cashews
Method
- Dissolve the starch in the water.
- Caramelize 150 g sugar to a deep amber in a heavy pot, then carefully add the starch mixture and the rest of the sugar.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 1 hour as it darkens and thickens.
- Add the ghee little by little and keep stirring until shiny and elastic.
- Stir in the rose water, saffron, cardamom and cashews, then pour into dishes and let it set.
How to make it lighter
- Serve a small spoonful (30–40 g) with coffee rather than a bowl.
- Use part of the ghee and stir longer; 1 tbsp ghee ≈ 120 kcal.
- Offer fruit alongside so guests take less halwa.
History
Halwa is central to Omani hospitality and is served to guests, at weddings and during Eid. It is traditionally stirred for hours in large copper pots by specialist makers, and Omani towns such as Muscat and Nizwa are known for their halwa shops.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →