Halwa Recipe (Sooji Halwa)

Make delicious Sooji Halwa with my simple traditional recipe. Made with basic ingredients like semolina, ghee, sugar, water and nuts, this is simple to make and comes together under 25 minutes. Whether it’s a festival or you simply want to fulfill your sweet cravings, I am sure you will love this Sooji Halwa for everything. Soft, fluffy and mouth melting texture with great flavors of cardamom!!!

About Halwa

Halwa is said to have originated in the Middle East and the word comes from Arabic which means “sweet” & is a confectionary. However in Indian Cuisine it is a pudding like dessert made during occasions like festivals or for a special meal. It is also served as an after-meal dessert.

Indian Halwa comes in many forms and colors. It is made with either semolina or flour or lentils by roasting them in ghee and cooking with water or milk. It is sweetened with sugar & flavoured with various spices like cardamoms, nutmeg, saffron etc. Lastly it is garnished with nuts & a lot of times the halwa itself is cooked with nuts and raisins.

This Sooji Halwa is the most basic and is prepared with fine semolina. It is made all-over India and eaten as a after meal dessert or with Poori, a fried bread. In South India a similar version is known as Rava Kesari and in the Western Indian states it is known as Sheera.

This Sooji Halwa recipe needs only 5 basic ingredients like semolina, ghee, sugar, nuts & raisins and cardamoms (or other spice) for flavoring. It is cooked in water but you can also use half water and half milk for a richer taste. I prefer to make mine with water for a less heavy dessert.

Ingredients & Subtitutes

• Semolina: You will use fine semolina known as sooji /suji for this recipe. If you have the larger kind, you may pulse it in a grinder so you get a slightly finer texture.
• Spices: While cardamom is the essential spice used to flavor the halwa, you are always free to use saffron, nutmeg or even rose water for flavoring.
• Sweetener: Sugar is the standard sweetener used but you can also use other sweeteners like jaggery or coconut sugar. You should note that the flavors & color of the halwa change with the use of other sweeteners.
• Ghee: It is best to use good quality ghee, preferably homemade or store bought that smells good. There is no substitute for ghee.
• Nuts & Raisins: Cashews, almonds, pistachios and raisins go well in this semolina halwa. Please use unsalted nuts. I prefer to fry them in ghee for this recipe. Feel free to blanch, peel and chop the almonds and pistachios if you want.

Photo Guide

Step-by-step photos to make Sooji Halwa

Preparation

1. Measure the ingredients required for the recipe

• 1 cup fine semolina (160 grams suji/ sooji/rava)
• ½ cup ghee (100 grams,120 ml) can use 2 tablespoons more, refer notes
• ¾ cup sugar (150 to 175 grams) can use 2 tablespoons more, read notes
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (or ½ teaspoon rose water, not essence)
• 2 tablespoons sweet raisins (optional)
• 1/3 cup cashews (split)
• 8 to 10 almonds (sliced or 2 tablespoons silvered, optional)

2. To a heavy bottom pan, add ghee and heat it. Add cashews and begin to fry them on a medium heat.

3. When the cashews turn golden, add the chopped raisins and sliced almonds.

4. Fry until the raisins turn pulp. If you want some crunchy nuts, you can set aside half of them at this stage.

5. Add the semolina to the pan and begin to roast on a medium to low heat stirring often. Meanwhile in a small pot or kettle, heat 2½ cups water (600 ml). If you want you may use half water and half milk.

6. Keep stirring to fry the semolina evenly. If required regulate the heat to low. When the semolina turns light and begins to smell aromatic it means it is done. It turns to a dark golden color. Don’t overcook and brown it as the flavor alters.

Make the Halwa

7. Reduce the heat and pour the hot water all at once to the pan. You don’t need to bring it to a rolling boil. Hot is enough.

8. Mix the water well with the semolina to make sure there are no lumps.

9. Increase the flame to medium and cover the pan. Let it cook for a few minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.

10. You will see the semolina is fluffy at this stage. Give a good mix.

11. Add sugar and cardamom powder. I also prefer to add ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg at this stage. Mix well and cook covered.

12. The sugar dissolves and makes the halwa runny. Mix and cook covered for a few minutes.

13. When done, your halwa is fluffy, aromatic and light. Mix in the rose water if using.

14. It will also begin to leave the pan and ghee begins to release from the halwa. Do not overcook as we don’t want it dry.

Garnish with the fried nuts and raisins if you had set aside. Serve halwa as a dessert or with puri.

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