Somali Halwa (xalwad or xalwo) is a popular, melt-in-your-mouth sweet flavored with cardamom and nutmeg. Made with sugar, cornstarch, and oil, this classic treat is sometimes finished with crunchy peanuts or sesame seeds stirred in at the end. Slice it up and serve it with a warm cup of Somali spiced tea (shaah)!
Somali Halwa
Somali Halwa (Xalwo) is a popular, melt-in-your-mouth sweet flavored with cardamom and nutmeg. Made with sugar, cornstarch, and oil, this classic treat
Servings 20
Ingredients
- 4 cups of water Divided
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup ghee/oil
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- Pinch saffron powder
Instructions
- Grease a baking dish and set a aside.
- In a deep heavy pot, bring the sugar and 3½ cups of the water to aboil.
- In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch and saffron with the remaining 1/2 cup water until smooth.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the pot, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
- As the mixture turns thick, start adding ghee/oil tablespoons at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add more whenever the halwa sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Keep stirring until the oil separates and the halwa turns glossy, thick, and pulls away from the sides of the pot.
- Stir in the cardamom, cloves, nutmeg.
- Pour into the prepared dish and spread evenly, about ½ to 1 inch thick.
- Put the halwa on a baking sheet.
- Let cool 2 to 3 hours until firm, then cut into squares and serve.
Print
Xalwad
Ingredients
Waxa loo baahanyahay
- 4 koob Biyo
- 2 koob sonkorta cad
- 2 koob sonkorta cas
- 1 koob daqiiqda waronga cornstarch
- 1 koob subag/saliid
- 1 malqaacad yar hayl dhagoole
- 2 malqaacad yar hayl
- 1 malqaacad yar jaws
- sacfraan ama kalar cas cas iyo huruud.
Instructions
Habka loo samaynaayo
- Weel sii diyaari saliid yar na mari, xalwada lagu rido.
- Disdi wayn sonkorta iyo 31/2 oo biyo ah isku kar kari dab dhex dhexaad ah.
- Madiibad yar kuwalaaq daqiiqda (cornstarch) iyo biyo koob badhkii soo hadhay.
- Kudulshub biyaha kar karaaya, dabka u yara dhim dabadeed walaaq. yaanay kuus kuus kaa noqon.
- Walaaq oo ka naaqus dabka markay biyuhu gudhaan, subaga ku shub kulba malqaacad oo walaaq si ay u dhaaxido
- Walaaq oo kar kari ilaa ay is qabsanayso oo xawaashka ku shub oo ku walaaq. ka qaad dabka.
- Weelkaad diyaarisay ku shub oo ha qabowdo xalwadu ilaa laba saacadood
Notes
Sideed ku ogaan kartaa marka lagaqaadayo dabka:
Waxaad malqaacad ku soo goysaa in yar oo xalwada qabooji ama yara dhig hadiikale
biyo qabow ku dhexrid. Markaa gacanta ku eeg in ay jilicsantahay ama adagtahay.
Dadka qaar jilayca ayay ka helaan qaarna in ay yara shaaxido oo ay adkaato.
Inta badan dadka waxa soo jiita kalarka intaanad dhadhamin xalwada.
Hadaba waxaad ku dari kartaa shaaha caleenta in ta ay biyuhu kar karayaan,
takale hadii aad isku darto casaan iyo huruud labadan kalar ayaa isku fiican marka
xalwada lagu daro.
Disdida aan wax ku dhagina waa muhiim maadaaama aynay kaa ga dhagaynin disdida, saliid badana u baahanmaysid.
Waxaad malqaacad ku soo goysaa in yar oo xalwada qabooji ama yara dhig hadiikale
biyo qabow ku dhexrid. Markaa gacanta ku eeg in ay jilicsantahay ama adagtahay.
Dadka qaar jilayca ayay ka helaan qaarna in ay yara shaaxido oo ay adkaato.
Inta badan dadka waxa soo jiita kalarka intaanad dhadhamin xalwada.
Hadaba waxaad ku dari kartaa shaaha caleenta in ta ay biyuhu kar karayaan,
takale hadii aad isku darto casaan iyo huruud labadan kalar ayaa isku fiican marka
xalwada lagu daro.
Disdida aan wax ku dhagina waa muhiim maadaaama aynay kaa ga dhagaynin disdida, saliid badana u baahanmaysid.
I absolutely LOVE your recipes, mashallah.
Thank you for posting them, and please keep it coming, absolutely delicious dishes!!
I have never been a big fan of halwad, but during ramadan I have always purchased it, since it’s Somali tradition to serve halwad, specially during Eid. This year, I’m sooo making it!! Thanks to You! I better start practing asap, mahadsanid.
PS: I was curious if you were to add nuts, what sorta nuts would you, recommend? and when would you add that?
Hi Smiley, I am glad you liked the halwad recipe.
It is my favorite too I always make sure when I am making it to have someone else helping me, as it can take long time.
You can use peanuts after you add the cardamom and the nutmeg and mix until incorporated.
Let me know how it goes, Insha Allah.
Masha’Allah sis…it looks great.
Assalaamu Alaikum! It’s Smiley again.
I just wanted to share with You, that I tried making this delicious recipe of yours.
All my family and friends enjoyed this. It was absolutely tasty. Next time I will eat, before making it again, that way, I won’t get greedy and double the recipe. LoL.
Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing these recipes with everyone. May God Bless You, and Yours.
Wa alaikumu Salaam,
I am so happy that it worked for you sis, on the first time, well done.
You must be a good cook.
Jazakalahu Khair
Thank you so much for this recipe. I grew up in East Africa, but have always longed for the taste of Halwa which we only purchased whilst on holiday on the African coast. I have been searching the net for even the slightest resemblance to this childhood delicacy, and have finally found it.
I will think of you when I try making it.
honestly i absolutely hate helwa because my mom used to make it all the time at my house and it would take upto four hours to fully cook but it really is worth it if u like helwa
salama alaykum
Asalamu aleykum …
i liked this recipes ,halwa goes with buskut , thank you for sharing with us, i also want to ask you , if you dont mind, to post somali biscuit( buslut) .
thanks again ,,,, asalamu aleykum.
salaam calekum wrwb my sister i like to know how to make icun someone say to me that is sokor bur saliid mixed can u help me pls
man do i love this sweet or wat i cant even get enough of it i love somali halwa and im not even somalian to beging with lol
I’m going to try making Halwa for the first time, can I ask what sort of oil should I use?
Thank you for posting the ingredients.
Sunflower oil or Canola oil should be fine. good luck with it
wow mashALLAH looks so tasty! 🙂
Ramadan Mubarak!
I am sooo happy I found your Blog, thankyou for these delicious recipes!
Assalamu Aleikum and eid mubarak to all.
I wanted to know how to make the halwo sticky, mine seems to turn out jelly-like however its not sticking together when you pull it.
I left on the heat for bit longer but then it all goes solid.
Finally how do you know Halwo is ready do you time it if so please tell us how long.
Thank you
btw I like my halwo with a cup of milk 🙂
When it starts to form like a big ball and it leaves the sides of the pan then you know it is done. also make sure you have the right ingredients sometimes comes out good and other it doesn’t.
Insha Allah it will work out for you next time.
Just found your site. I live in Djibouti and love these recipes. I have a question about the Halwa – is there a substitution for the brown sugar? I can’t find it anywhere here. Would it also work with just white sugar?
Yes you can use the white sugar it should be fine.
I hope this helps,
thanks
I looooove your website. Your recipes are the best. I am not Somali but my husband is. After five years of marriage, I can finally know how to cook certain dishes and can pass the knowledge to my daughter. Jazak Allah kheir. I can’t wait for more recipes. Do you know any goat recipes? Thank you.
Salaam Aisha
It is good to have you here, I am going to be posting more recipes Insha Allah so stay tuned for that, are you looking for goat stews? let me know
JazakAllah Khair
Just want to say its a great pleasure to have come across this website.I feel proud to share with my friends and family about real somali food.Im going to start making some of the dishes this weekend.Well done Guys!
I love this recipe, thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Thanks, Sumaiyah
Asalamu Alaikum,
Jazakallahu Khairan, I promised the other day my son that I would make Xalwad, and have been busy this Ramadan.I woke up earlt this morning and made xalwad, it looks nice, and I am looking forward tasting, and seeing my sons face later this morning.May Allah grant us all paradise,amin
thank you sis.
Aamin, MaanshAllah! it is good to hear that you tried the recipe and thanks for sharing sis.
JazakAllahu Khair
Salam Aliakum!
Just discovered your site through google, searching for Halwa recipes. Thanks for sharing, I will be making this for Eid. hope it turns out ok as this si my first time attempting to make Halwad.
Welcome Idil, and thanks for trying the recipe.
Salaam Sister I was wondering whether I could use corn flower instead of corn starch.
Asalamu Alaikum sis,
if you are in UK it should be cornflour, it is the white starch finely powdered, if that helps.
Let me know if you find it. Insha Allah
Salams, love your recipes I just wanted to know how long it takes to let it cool and the total duration of the halwad
Please help me with the “cup” story, it equals what exactely…?
Asalamu Alaikum sis,
thanks for your email, the cooking time varies from 1 hour to 2 hours according to heat, ingredients the type of pan used. all these play a role. when finished you can let come to room temperature. you could put it in the freezer to speed up the cooking time.
I hope this helps,
let me know how you get on insha Allah
I use these standard measuring cups and they make my life a lot easier, one cup equals to 8 0z, I should have soon a conversion diagram, Insha Allah since the readers are coming all over the world.
mashaAllah i just discover you website i was looking for halwa recipe and there it is found it jazaakaAllahu khayran and i am so proud of you guys.atleast there is somalian website.i am going to try now and i will let u knw how it will come out inshaAllah.
salaam its me again i need to knw please it is laazim to put nutmeg?
on the halwa
Welcome, thanks for visiting and leaving a comment, I do appreciated.
with regards to nutmeg, the best thing to do is to go to your local Masjid and ask the Imam, he will be able to explain it to your more.
Nutmeg is haram due to its intoxicating properties and when used in large quantities it will give you hallucinations.
Therefor it is band in Saudi Arabia, jet it is sold as a seasoning for food, and many product that contain nutmeg are also sold.
The best substitute will be cloves if you add ground cloves and cardamom will work best.
I hope this answers your question,
JazakaAllah
i love you recipes
Thanks sis
Salami alakum sister… I was just wondering how to crust on your halwa is formed… Because I love halwa when it cools down and the crust is formed…. The halwa you have in the picture looks delicious… I am ready to try this recipe but pls tell how the delicious crust is formed around the halwa … Thank you
Asalamu Alaikum
Thank you for your comments, it is good to have you here, regarding halwa and how crust is formed, usually it happens when
you have it for few days as it gets old the crunch will form on top.
Hello, is this a hard desert like candy or is it like jelly?
It is like jelly.
asalamu alykum walale.which one is best to use-yellow food color or red color. please let me now.I sametimes use red and it came out too dark
Asalamu Calaykum,
Ramadan Kariim
What I usually do is mix red and yellow and sometimes if I want a bit darker I add tea ( one tea bag) 🙂
Salaams! Can you please give some tips on ow to avoid the crunchy crust that forms as the halwa ages? We love the soft jelly ness of the halwa and always pick the crunch off but we’ve gotten to 90% crunch and 10% jelly now… Lol! Please help for next time 🙂 thanks!
Salaam Farrah,
Many thanks for your comment.
keep it in an airtight container at all times, Insha Allah.
Let me know how it goes.
Asc .. I am a south african lady that will soon be getting married to a somalian guy.. Thanks so much for these recipes .. I’m sooo excited to start trying them out:) so that I will be a professional somali cook one of these days, will let u know how the first dish went:)
Keep up the good work
hadaa somali tahiin waxaa ladaho shegaa
1. xalwa
2. xalaawad
3. xalwad
what type of pot do you have to use?one time I made xalwa and it didn’t release the oil.thx
Zainaq, the best pot for the Halwa is a nonstick pan, that works for the Halwa the best.
Qofba midbuu u yaqaanaa adigu magacee ayaad isticmaashaa.
Masha Allah. walal dadbadan bad u faaiidaysay ilaahay ajar hakaasiiyo.
aniga Xalwada 5 marban sameeyay bal in aan ka salgaaro walina iima hagaagin. qiyasta ay kakoobantahay ingediantiga say tahay baan u sameeyay oo waxna kumadarin waxna kama jareen. way fiicnaan lahaayd hadan pic keeda kuusoodiri lahaa.
mahadsanid
Amina
asalamy calaykum,
walaal Amina aad baan kuu soo dhawaynayaa, waad mahadsantahay waan ka xumahay in ay kuu hagaagi wayday xalwadii aad samaysay.
halkan kusoo dir sawirka InshaAllah. mail@mysomalifood.com
THANKS FOR RECIPIE!!! I ALSO MADE THIS FOR EID, AND THE PRESSED SUGAR COOKIES. IT WAS VERY GOOD! I MADE ALOT OF YOUR RECIPIES (OKRA SOUP,BEEF STEW W/ GREEN PEA AND POTATOES, ETC) *EVERYTIME I MAKE YOUR RECIPIES THEY ALWAYS TASTE SO GOOD ^-^
~THANK YOU~ POST MORE RECIPIES PLEASE :DD
As salaam aleykum sister, I see you said nutmeg is added but I don’t see it in the recipe? And is the Indian ghee OK to use. Jazak Allah khrn ?
Jazakulah kairan for the halwa recipe. I attempted to make it today and it came out okay for my first time in making halwa. I got burnt many time from the bubbling of the sugar and water lol but at the end of the day every cut or burn has a story. Many thanks for the recipe
Bakri Sayid
Thanks for trying the halwa recipe,
sorry about the burns, please wear gloves next time, my mom used to wrap towel around her hands :).
Walaaley Waan kuu Mahad celinaayaa mar kalena mahadsanid Afsoomaaliga awgiis aad dadka ugu faa iidaysay taasoo kaa Muuqata daacadnimada Afkaaga Hooyo oo aad waxnoogu sheektay ilaah hakula jiro adiga iyo intaad jeceshahayba waa markale iyo Anigoo kuleh guulayso Dr.Kimiko Norwey
Dr. Kimiko
Aad ayaad u mahadsantahay walaal
This dish is not limited to somalia but is also made in other Arab countries such as Oman and yemen.
Hello,
How long does every step take and how many people does this recipe serve?
That is right Saleh, thanks for mentioning that.
Mysomalifood,how long can halwa stay after you buy it before going bad