Banana Halavah
Posted October 2, 2007
One version of the recipe that Zoe is looking for, Banana Halavah, comes from the original cookbook The Hare Krishna Cookbook compiled by Krsna devi dasi and Sama devi dasi. My copy is from 1983 (a couple of years before I joined the movement) and is the sixth printing. This is a great cookbook.
The recipe goes like this:
Banana Halavah (Kela Halavah) page 61
- 6 bananas
- 1 &1/2 t cardamom seeds(peeled)
- 4 T butter
- 1 & 1/2 cups water
- 2 T blanched almonds
- 1 t rose water
- saffron
Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Peel and cut bananas into 1 inch pieces.
Fry in butter 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Stir often and mash after they
have fried for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water. Simmer with care on low heat
for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir the sugar into the remaining 1 cup
water and add to the bananas. Boil gently 15 minutes. Stir often to
prevent scorching, and also to thicken mixture. Add rose water, remove and
pour into a shallow dish. Bruise the cardamom seeds and sprinkle on
halavah. Sliver the almonds, and sprinkle enough saffron to colour the
halavah golden. Offer hot or cold. Hope this helps. Haribol!