Raw Halva Balls

Different areas of the middle-east have different versions of Halva and you may have seen containers of sesame halva at your local middle-eastern shop. I grew up eating the stuff spread on toasted Persian flat bread and absolutely adore the sweet and nutty flavour.  These raw halva balls are a slightly more nutritious version, lightly sweetened with honey and all the delicious nutty and spicy flavours of traditional halva.

Ingredients

2 cups almond meal

2 tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons organic unhulled tahini

1 teaspoon rose water

5 cardamom pods

1/4 cup pistachio nuts

Method

Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and crush them to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle.

Put all the ingredients, except for the pistachio nuts into the food processor and pulse until the mixture sticks together.

Roll into small balls (should make about 15-20 balls depending on size).

Crush the pistachio nuts into a rough powder using the mortar and pestle. Spread the pistachio nuts on a plate and roll the halva balls into the nuts so that they are coated.  Store the halva balls in an covered container in the fridge for about an hour to set.