Xalwo — Somali Celebration Sweet
The glossy, cardamom-scented Somali sweet served at weddings and Eid — slow-stirred until it turns translucent and holds a cut.
Method
- Grease a 20cm square dish or shallow tray and set it within reach of the stove; the finished mixture sets quickly and cannot wait.
- Whisk the cornflour into 2 cups of cold water until completely smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
- Put the sugar and the remaining 2 cups of water in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the cornflour mixture again, then pour it into the sugar syrup in a slow stream while whisking constantly. Lumps that form here will stay to the end.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring without stopping with a sturdy wooden spoon. Over the next 20 minutes the mixture thickens, turns from milky to translucent, and starts to pull away from the sides of the pot.
- Begin adding the warm ghee a tablespoon at a time, stirring each addition in fully before the next. This takes patience: added too fast, the ghee pools and separates instead of being absorbed.
- Continue stirring for another 25 to 30 minutes. The xalwo is ready when it is glossy and deep amber, pulls cleanly from the base in a single mass, and a little dropped onto a cold plate holds its shape without spreading.
- Stir in the cardamom, the soaked saffron and the rosewater during the last 2 minutes, followed by most of the nuts.
- Scrape immediately into the greased dish, level the top with an oiled spatula, scatter over the remaining nuts, and leave to set at room temperature for at least 4 hours before cutting into small squares or diamonds.
How to make Xalwo — Somali Celebration Sweet
Xalwo is the sweet of Somali celebration. It is made in large quantities for weddings, Eid and the welcoming of guests, often by a cook who has made it for decades, and the finished block is cut small because it is rich and intensely sweet.
An hour of stirring
- Advertisement -
There is no shortcut. The texture depends on continuous stirring over moderate heat for the better part of an hour, which keeps the starch cooking evenly and stops it catching on the base. A wide, heavy-based pot and a long wooden spoon make the work easier, and many cooks share the task between two people.
Adding the ghee slowly
The ghee is what turns xalwo glossy and gives it its keeping quality, but it has to go in gradually. Add it a spoon at a time and wait until each addition disappears into the mass. If it pools on the surface, the heat is too high or the previous spoonful had not been absorbed.
Knowing when it is done
Watch for three signs together: a deep translucent amber colour, a mixture that leaves the sides of the pot in one mass, and a test spoonful that sets on a cold plate rather than spreading. Underdone xalwo never firms up; overdone turns hard and chewy.
Flavour and keeping
Cardamom is essential, saffron and rosewater are common, and some cooks add a little corn syrup for shine. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, xalwo keeps for two weeks and is traditionally offered to guests with Somali spiced tea.
Traditional Somali celebration confectionery, related to the halwa found across the Arabian Peninsula and South Asia. Editorially researched from widely documented preparations, and not kitchen-tested by Axadle.
Contains dairy from ghee and tree nuts if garnished with peanuts or almonds. Naturally gluten-free and egg-free; omit the nuts for a nut-free version.
Join the conversation