YELLOW DATES HALVA

Dates or Date palms are native to Middle East and North Africa where many varieties of dates are harvested and sold at all stages of ripeness. Date palm cultivation started in India in 2007. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharastra, Tamilnadu and Kerala started it’s production. Gujarat is top producer among all and Gujarat state gives subsidy to its producer. Dates are cultivated in Kutch region of Gujarat. Yellow dates are known as Barhi dates. Word ‘Barhi’ means ‘a hot wind’ in Arabic. Fresh date fruits are crunchy and eaten on their own or can be used in juices, desserts, salad etc. Dates are rich source of fiber, iron, potassium, Vitamin-B, flavonoids and antioxidants.
Today, I have prepared halva from fresh yellow dates.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients:
250 grams fresh yellow dates
1 cup milk
1 tbsp cream
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp saffron ( soaked in milk)
1 tbsp almond flakes
1 tsp pistachio flakes
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Wash the dates and pat dry them with kitchen cloth. Deseed them and chop in small pieces. Grind it into a puree.
2. Heat ghee and add pureed dates and sauté them for a while. Further add milk, saffron and cream. Mix well and sauté on a slow flame till ghee separates.
3. Now add sugar and cook till sugar melts and all the excess water is evaporated. Lastly add cardamom powder, almond flakes, pistachio flakes, mix and cook for couple of seconds.
4. Serve hot.
   Note:
   1.quantity of sugar depands o the sweetness of dates.