How to Make Delicious Turkish Pistachio Lokum (Turkish Delight) for Nowruz

How to Prepare Pistachio Lokum:

Step 1:
To prepare pistachio lokum, start by adding starch and cardamom powder into a suitable pot. Then, add vanilla and two and a half cups of warm water to the pot and mix well until the starch dissolves in the water.

Step 2:
In this step, put the gelatin in a bowl, add a third of a cup of warm water, and let the gelatin soak. Then, place the pot with starch over low heat and stir the mixture constantly.

Step 3:
Stir the mixture continuously until it thickens. Once the starch has thickened slightly, add the sugar and increase the heat to dissolve the sugar. After the sugar has fully dissolved, add the brewed saffron to the pot.

Step 4:
Mix the saffron thoroughly with the other ingredients to evenly change the color of the mixture. Once the starch thickens more, add the gelatin mixture to the pot and stir well to combine everything.

Step 5:
Add the butter to the pot and continue stirring until the mixture becomes thick and holds its shape. Now it's time to add the pistachio nuts. Mix the pistachios thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.

Step 6:
Once the pistachios are mixed well, remove the pot from heat. Then, moisten a suitable mold or a tray with a bit of water, and place a layer of freezer bag inside the mold.

Step 7:
Grease the freezer bag slightly, then spread the lokum mixture evenly on top. Place the mold in the refrigerator to allow the lokum to set. After about 3 hours, the lokum will be ready.

Step 8:
Cut the lokum into desired shapes, then roll them in flour to remove any moisture. Finally, store the lokum in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to one week.