Sooji Ka Halwa Recipe- Indian Semolina Pudding

Sooji Ka Halwa is the traditional Indian desert made with semolina and sugar syrup with the fragrance of saffron and cashew. This Halwa recipe is a perfect dessert for festivals, special occasions.

Sooji Ka Halwa is also known as Rava Kesari or Rava Sheera. This semolina dessert requires only 5 ingredients and 20 minutes for preparation of the halwa. That makes it a perfect Indian dessert to make in emergency situation.

The halwa recipe is also made as prasad (offering) for various Indian festivals like Navratri, Diwali etc.  Sooji halwa is a part of ashtami poojan during Navratri!

This Sooji Halwa Recipe is

• Popular Indian dessert that is easy to make.
• You can make it using milk or without milk.
• You can make it in 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Sooji Halwa

Sooji or Semolina: Indian semolina is used to make halwa. Sooji is also known as Rava and also spelled as suji. Farina (cream of wheat) or semolina is also same thing.Suji halwa is made with fine semolina.

Ghee: Clarified butter, always use ghee for making best halwa.  

Sugar: Regular sugar or white sugar is used for it. But if you like alternative sugar you can use jaggery. If you want you can use sugar substitute of your choice.

Nuts: You can use mixed nuts that are chopped finely. I use cashew, almonds, walnuts, pistachio etc. Also i like to add raisins for sweetness.

Flavour: You can make it without any flavour but halwa tastes best with cardamom(elaichi) and kesar (saffron). 

Sooji Halwa Recipe Video

Though this sweet pudding with ghee and sugar is made in different states under a different name has more or less same recipe process. I happen to make it in two different ways, curious? I usually make sooji halwa without milk and sometimes with milk. It doesn’t matter how you make it tastes delicious regardless. 😀 

Recipe Notes & Tips to Make Best Halwa

• While roasting the sooji, constantly keep on stirring to prevent burning.
• Stirring also ensures even roasting of semolina.
• Roast sooji on low flame until ghee is separated from it.
• It is really important to roast the suji evenly to avoid the raw taste in it.
• While pouring water wait for sooji to cool down a bit and then add water, it prevents splashes and also accidental steam burns if your hand is too close.
• You can make Sooji ka halwa with either milk or water. I usually like to make this with water as the texture comes lighter and halwa tastes better.
• Always add saffron it gives a nice aroma and flavour as well as natural golden hue to halwa.

What is Right Proportion of Sooji to Water for Halwa?

Since Suji Halwa is made during festivals or special occasions I usually follow the ‘recipe proportions. This makes it easier to cook halwa in larger quantities as well. If you like grainy/danedaar halwa following the sooji to water proportion is important. You do not want the pasty halwa that tastes gross.

Correct water, semolina and sugar ratio for halwa is for 1 cup of suji take ⅔ cup of ghee and 2.5 cup of water. 

How to Serve?

Serve it in a bowl and top it with nuts and dry fruits. Sooji halwa is often made as prasad and bhog for deities. On the occasion of navratri and kanjak poojan it is served along with sookha kala chana and puri. 

There is another style with which you can serve the halwa. Instead of serving the halwa in the bowl you can spread the halwa on to a greased plate and spread it in a thick layer. Allow it to cook and cut it into squares like burfi and serve 🙂

More Such Recipes 

• Gajar Ka Halwa

• Kaju Halwa Recipe,

• Coconut Barfi

• Moong Dal Halwa

• Sooji Halwa Recipe in Microwave

• Carrot Halwa in Microwave

📖 Recipe

Suji Ka Halwa

Suji Ka Halwa is a traditional dessert popularly made on Kanjak Pujan in Navratri. This dessert can be eaten with poori and sookhe kala chana sabzi. 

5 from 6 votes

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Course: Dessert, Sweet

Cuisine: Indian, north indian, punjabi

Keyword: Suji, suzi

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 172kcal

Author: Rekha Kakkar

Ingredients

• 1 Cup sooji semolina
• ¼ Cup Ghee clarified butter
• ⅓ Cup Sugar
• 2.5 Cup Water
• 4-5 Green Cardamom
• 1 tablespoon Almonds
• 1 tablespoon Pistachio
• 10 Kesar saffron threads

Instructions

To Make Sugar Syrup

• Heat a pan and add 2.5 cups of water in it. After that add ½ sugar in the pan and allow it to boil. 
• In midst of the boiling water add a pinch of kesar and 3-4 cardamom in it. (You can add crushed cardamom as well.)When the mixture starts to boil then lower the flame and let the sugar syrup simmer. 
• after 5 minutes switch off the heat. You can simultaneously boil sugar syrup as well as fry sooji if you like to save time.

Frying Sooji

• Heat ¼ cup of ghee in the pan. When the ghee is melted and becomes hot then add a half cup of semolina or suji or rava in it.
• Keep on continuously roasting the suji so that the sooji does not stick to the pan and is cooked evenly.
• It is really important to saute and continuously stir the semolina on low flame for 7-8 mins until the grain starts to change the color to golden brown.
• Switch off the heat once.

Making Sooji ka Halwa

• When the semolina is perfectly roasted then add the aromatic hot sugar syrup in it.
• Since the recipe splutters turn off the heat and then add sugar syrup in the suji to avoid burns.
• When you have poured the liquid syrup in it then turn on the heat and quickly stir the suji. The suji will absorb all the sugar syrup and will thicken in consistency. 
• Cook the halwa for another 4-5 minutes until the ghee starts to leave the pan. When it is cooked then turn off the heat
• Sprinkle some almonds, pistachio and saffron on the halwa and serve hot.

Video

Notes

• While roasting the sooji, constantly keep on stirring to prevent burning.
• Stirring also ensures even roasting of semolina.
• Roast sooji on low flame until ghee is separated from it.
• It is really important to roast the suji evenly to avoid the raw taste in it.
• While pouring water wait for sooji to cool down a bit and then add water, it prevents splashes and also accidental steam burns if your hand is too close.
• You can make Sooji ka halwa with either milk or water. I usually like to make this with water as the texture comes lighter and halwa tastes better.
• Always add saffron it gives a nice aroma and flavour as well as natural golden hue to halwa.

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg