Composition and useful properties of sunflower halva. What are the contraindications to eating it? How is halva eaten and what recipes with its participation can be prepared in the home kitchen?
Sunflower halva is a favorite dessert of adults and children. It can be eaten in its pure form or added to baked goods, cereals and even drinks. Anyone can prepare a treat at home or purchase it at any grocery store. Sweetness is rich in vitamins and minerals necessary for the healthy functioning of the human body. Despite this, it is forbidden to eat halva in large doses for children and several other categories of consumers. Further more about the composition, benefits and dangers of sunflower halva.
Composition and calorie content of sunflower halva
GOST of sunflower halva says that the product should be easy to cut, crumble a little and have a fine-fiber structure. The surface of the treat should be free of graying and damage. Point inclusions of husk may come across inside the sweets, but an excessive amount of them indicates a low quality of the product.
The standard composition of sunflower halva includes the following ingredients:
- Shredded sunflower seeds;
- Tahini or sesame paste;
- Natural flavors in the form of nuts and chocolate, which are selected at the individual discretion of each manufacturer.
The calorie content of sunflower halva per 100 g is 560 kcal, of which
- Protein - 13 g;
- Fat - 37 g;
- Carbohydrates - 43 g;
- Dietary fiber - 0 g;
- Water - 0 g.
The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates: 1 to 2, 8 to 3, 3.
Vitamins per 100 g of product
- Vitamin B1 - 0.8 mg;
- Vitamin B2 - 0.1 mg;
- Vitamin PP - 4.5 mg.
Minerals in 100 g of sunflower halva
- Potassium (K) - 351 mg;
- Calcium (Ca) - 211 mg;
- Magnesium (Mg) - 178 mg;
- Sodium (Na) - 87 mg;
- Phosphorus (P) - 292 mg;
- Iron (Fe) - 33, 2 mg.
Interesting! The word "halva" is translated from Arabic as "sweets".
Useful properties of sunflower halva
The benefits of sunflower halva for human health are undeniable. It is advised to include in the diet of people who work regularly and hard, both physically and mentally.
The main useful properties of halva:
- Strengthens the immune system … Contains a wide range of B vitamins that have a positive effect on the protective function of the body. Also, these substances contribute to the accelerated absorption of carbohydrates.
- Optimizes the work of the central nervous system and cardiovascular system … This is provided by a wide range of beneficial nutrients in the product, such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and more.
- Accelerates metabolism … This process is due to magnesium, which contains 178 mg in 100 g of halva.
- Rejuvenates the skin … Halva is used in cosmetology to create anti-aging face masks.
In addition, the product prevents abnormal thickening of blood vessels and tissues of internal organs, the development of malignant tumors in the body and coronary heart disease. Halva possesses these properties due to phytosterols, which are contained in especially large volumes. Phytosterols are similar in structure and function to cholesterol. They, getting into the blood vessels of a person, do not allow cholesterol to penetrate into them. Due to this, the excess of the latter is removed from the body, which helps to prevent the development in the human body of a number of diseases caused by an excess of cholesterol in the blood.
On a note! Experts advise to carefully approach the choice of halva in the store. A quality product should have a grayish color and a crumbly texture. Touch the surface with one finger, if there is no greasy residue left on it, the product is fresh and you can safely buy it!
Contraindications and harm of sunflower halva
The harm of sunflower halva primarily lies in its high calorie content. A hearty product can provoke a rapid weight gain, so people who are losing weight should refuse it. It is enough to eat 100 g of this sweetness to get half the daily calories.
Also, the following categories of consumers should also exclude sunflower delicacy from their diet:
- Diabetics;
- People suffering from metabolic disorders;
- Allergy sufferers with individual intolerance to the constituent components of the product.
Halva can cause stomach upsets if consumed stale after the expiration date. Experts recommend limiting the amount of halva for children. An overabundance of it in a fragile body can lead to disorders of the child's nervous system or the development of kidney pathology in him.
How to cook sunflower halva?
The industrial production of sunflower halva is a complex technological process, consisting of the following stages:
- Separation of husks from sunflower seeds;
- Roasting seeds, their subsequent cooling and crushing;
- Adding to the crushed grains a boiled mixture of molasses and sugar, knocked down with an extract of licorice root;
- Kneading halva, its packing and packaging.
Despite the complexity of the described process, a sweet treat can be prepared in your home kitchen with a minimum of time. What is sunflower halva made of at home? To make dessert, you will need sunflower oil and seeds, wheat flour, water and granulated sugar.
A simple step-by-step recipe for sunflower halva
- Peel 0.5 kg of sunflower seeds.
- Fry them in a skillet without adding oil.
- Grind the resulting mass with a blender or food processor.
- Fry the flour in a dry skillet. Make sure that the flour does not burn, it will be ready after acquiring a creamy shade.
- Mix the flour with the crushed seeds.
- Grind the resulting mixture in a blender.
- Prepare the sugar syrup, for this you will need to combine 80 ml of water with 1 tbsp. granulated sugar. Simmer the syrup over low heat for about 5 minutes. Please note that foam will form on the surface of the water, which must be removed with a slotted spoon or spoon.
- Add 150 ml of sunflower oil and a dry mixture of seeds and flour to the prepared syrup.
Put the resulting dough in a greased dish and leave the container to cool for 4 hours in a cool room. Some housewives put a press on top of the mold so that the halva is as firm as possible. Also, if you don't have a blender, you can use a meat grinder to grind the ingredients.
Good to know! It is best to store the sweetness in a glass container under a tightly closed lid. In this case, the temperature in the room should not exceed + 18 ° C. You can store a treat in such conditions for about 2 months. If the vacuum packaging of the product is not damaged, its freshness will be preserved for up to six months.
Halva recipes
Now you know how to cook sunflower halva in your kitchen. Next, we present to your attention several dessert recipes in which it is used as an integral component:
- Roll … Dissolve 20 g of vegetable oil and 2 eggs in 120 g of water. Pour 350 g of flour into the liquid and knead the dough, it should turn out to be elastic, but not clogged. Stretch the finished dough with your hands so that in the future it is convenient to form a roll from it. Be very careful as the dough can easily break from sudden movements. Brush the crust stretched with your hands with pre-melted butter. Put the filling on it - 400 g of halva, whipped with 100 g of sour cream. Roll the dough into a roll and brush over with a beaten egg. Bake in the oven until tender.
- Biscuits … Beat 150 g butter with a mixer until fluffy and smooth. Add 1 chicken egg, 1 tsp to the butter. baking powder and 150 g of halva. Beat the resulting mass and knead the dough from it, for this you will need 200 g of flour. Form the dough into balls and bake them for 20 minutes.
- Cake … Beat 3 eggs with a pinch of salt and 100 g sugar. Add 100 g of fatty sour cream and 100 g of sunflower oil to the eggs (it is better to choose a refined product for kneading the dough). In a separate bowl, mix 30 g cocoa powder with 180 g wheat flour. Add the resulting mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly the dough that forms. Add finely chopped halva (150 g) to the finished dough. Bake the cake in one continuous pan, or pour the dough into small tins. But the dessert is best baked in a bowl with a hole in the middle.
- Vareniki … To speed up the cooking process of this dish, you can buy ready-made dumplings dough at the grocery store and fill it with halva. To do this, roll out the dough and squeeze circles out of it, into which the sweet filling will continue to lie. This dish should be cooked only for a few minutes. If you want to make the dough yourself, adhere to the following tips from the cooks: stir a pinch of salt and 1 egg in 150 ml of milk, add 350 g of flour to the liquid and knead the dough, leave the dumplings to infuse for 25 minutes.
- Cream for cake or pastries … Whisk together 300 g butter thoroughly. Add 300 g of icing sugar to it and beat again. Without stopping the mixer, pour 100 g of condensed milk into the butter and add 70 g of halva, cut into small pieces in advance. Beat the cream until smooth. Use it to grease cakes or cake toppings.
Halva drinks recipes
Three simple recipes for drinks with halva:
- Latte … Whisk 150 ml of low-fat cow's milk with 50 g of halva. Add 1 tsp to the resulting mass. honey and heat over low heat until almost boiling. Whisk the syrup all the time so it doesn't burn. In a separate bowl, beat 50 g of milk until a thick foam is obtained. Pour 100 g of freshly made coffee into a bowl for serving a drink, pour syrup on top of it and decorate the composition with whipped foam. Bon Appetit!
- Milk Shake … Put 80 g of chopped halva, 3 peeled and peeled plums and 250 ml of cold milk in a blender bowl. Beat the mixture, gradually increasing the speed of the mixer. Serve the treat to the table when the drink acquires a homogeneous structure.
- Hot chocolate … Grind 50 g halva with a fork. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tsp. ground ginger, 30 g of cocoa powder, 300 ml of cow's milk and the same amount of hot water. Cook the milk mixture over low heat for 2 minutes. Add 3 tsp to the finished syrup. sugar and 50 g of grated chocolate. Stir the treat thoroughly and pour it into portioned cups. Place the crumbled halva on top of the hot chocolate as a decoration.
Interesting facts about sunflower halva
It is believed that halva belongs to oriental sweets. According to an authentic recipe, it is made from nuts, various seeds and granulated sugar.
It was first prepared in Persia, where it was believed that sweetness has magical powers. The Greek warriors did not consider halva a sweetness, but perceived it as a high-calorie product with which you can quickly get full and get a boost of energy before the upcoming battle. The inhabitants of modern Egypt to this day eat a delicacy for breakfast when they know that they will have a busy work day.
Modern consumers are accustomed to buying halva from the seeds of oily crops. However, the world market knows another type of sweet product - halva made from vegetables and flour. This unusual delicacy is especially popular in countries such as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Halva is a favorite delicacy of people from all over the world. In honor of this product, one of the space asteroids was even named. This fact takes place in the history of mankind thanks to Raymond Dugan, the cosmonaut who discovered the minor planet at number 518. It was he who named the asteroid in honor of halva - the sweet that he loved most at that time.
Halva is used not only in cooking, but also in fishing. From it and semolina, fishermen make an effective bait that holds perfectly on the hook and quickly attracts the attention of large fish.
How to cook sunflower halva - watch the video:
To the question of how useful sunflower halva is, experts answer briefly - with a large set of vitamins and minerals. This product contains a lot of iron, magnesium, potassium and more. Sweetness can quickly energize a person's body and improve their mood. Limit the consumption of halva should only be children, people with overweight or diabetes.
