Circassian Haliva

I felt like a genuine Circassian lady earlier this week as I prepared all of these delicious traditional snacks! And it made me so happy to share with you this large part of my life that people wouldn’t normally know about. These little pockets of culture and tradition that have a way of finding their way to the surface and spreading a little light on those who care to take a closer look are make me tick! As I looked through the photographs and notes I took on my most recent visit to the ladies’ Circassian Association in Amman, I was warmed by the generosity of the women in sharing their secrets and the strong pride they have for their heritage. I love how important sharing their food with others is. I love how they hold their traditions so tightly.

This is not a dish you whip up at a moment’s notice, although you probably have all of the ingredients you need for it in your pantry. It’s a labor of love and one I imagine ladies have done for centuries, sitting around a kitchen table while catching up on the latest village news. There’s a word in Arabic for that kind of gathering. Subheya comes from the Arabic word for morning, subha. It’s a gathering in the morning, impromptu, informal, usually over a strong cup of coffee or tea. It is mostly used to refer to women who get together once their husbands and children have left for the day, to share gossip and also help one another with various tasks in each other’s kitchens. While the daily recipes are not necessarily labor intensive, some  recipes, like this Haliva, are quite labor intensive, made less so by the work of many hands, time passing quickly with a good catch up. Gathered around a kitchen table, rolling cabbage leaves or pinching together dough parcels or peeling garlic or drying nuts or pitting fruit. The tasks are endless. The gossip undoubtedly juicy. The friendships lifelong. 

Despite their fiddly nature, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try! I knocked them out while the dough for my Loqum was rising (see the previous post) and then just got my oil hot and started a regular frying party! As I mentioned in my Instagram post, when I asked my mother-in-law whether she’s ever tried any variations on the fillings, her response was: “Well then, they wouldn’t be haliva!” That’s me told…but I did add dill to my cheese mixture, with what I think was great success. I leave it to you to adjust or not as you see fit, but in any event they’re absolutely delicious.

Haliva
makes 64

500g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
canola oil for frying

for the cheese filling:
300g ricotta cheese
100g soft goat cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped dill

for the potato filling:
300g peeled potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

First make the dough by mixing together the flour and salt with a fork before adding the water and oil. Bring the mixture together and knead until it’s smooth. Cover it with plastic and set aside while you’re making the fillings.

For the cheese filling simply mix everything together. For the potato, place chunks of potatoes in salted cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until a pairing knife can be easily inserted into the potatoes without resistance. Drain the potatoes and place back in the hot pot so they steam a bit and dry out. Now simply mash and add the salt and pepper to your taste.

Cut the dough into quarters and working one piece at a time roll out using a pasta machine or kitchen aid pasta attachment if you have one. You want dough to be quite thin and even - long rectangular sheets. It should be quite easy to work with. I started on setting one on my machine, moved to setting 2 and finished off with a five. Lay the sheets of dough on your counter and cut into 3 inch squares which you can then fill with a generous tablespoon of whichever filling you choose. Fold the dough over on itself before cutting into an arched shape (I used a fluted pastry cutter, but you don’t have to). Make sure everything is well-sealed before continuing until all of your dough and filling have been used.

Heat the canola oil in a heavy large pot until about 350/175 degrees. Carefully add your haliva parcels and allow them to brown on the one side before flipping and cooking the other. Drain on paper towels and eat as soon as possible!