Sooji halwa, also known as ‘Sooji ka halwa’, is a classic North Indian sweet. It is made with fine semolina or cream of wheat (flour), sugar, Ghee, nuts and flavoured with cardamom powder. It’s easy to make and takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.
You can serve this traditional Indian dessert as an after-dinner treat or even for breakfast. It’s also great for potlucks and parties because it travels well – packs it in a container and takes along some fresh fruit on the side. The best part? There are no artificial flavours or colours, so you know exactly what your family is eating every time they enjoy this simple but tasty recipe.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- Sugar – ⅔ or ¾ cup as per the taste
- Ghee – ⅔ or ¾ cup
- Water- ½ cup
- Milk- 1 cup
- Sooji (semolina)- 1 cup
- Cardamom powder- 1+½ tbsp
- Cinnamon powder- a pinch or two
- Salt- for taste
- Cashew- 50 gms chopped
- Almonds- 50 gms chopped
Preparation:
- In a clean non-stick pan, pour the Ghee and let it warm on low flame
- Add Sooji 9semolina) into the Ghee and turn the flame to a medium-low
- Mix well and roast the sooji until it turns brownish
- Add the chopped cashews and almonds and roast them as well.
- Keep stirring and mixing to avoid them from getting burnt
- Simultaneously boil the milk and water in a pan
- Add sugar to it and let it boil
- Before switching off the flame, add cardamom powder and a pinch of cinnamon powder and give it a last boil
- Add a pinch of salt to the sooji mix
- Pour the milk and water solution
- Quickly cover the pan after giving it all a good stir
- Let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes and serve it hot
Tip: Cook on low flame to avoid it from burning. Use a heavy pan. You can also add Saffron crocus in the water-milk solution to enhance the flavour.