Recipe - Sooji Halwa

Recipe - Sooji Halwa (Ravva Kesari/Suji ka Halwa)

(Cream of wheat pudding)

Summary:

Sooji halwa is one of the easiest dessert/sweet to make. It takes no longer than 15 - 20 minutes. Halwa taste good when eated hot and fresh. In South India, cashew and raisins are used. In North India, almonds are used. I like to use almonds instead of raisins and cashews (raisins get soggy when cooked).

Ingredients:

Suji - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup (according to sweet level)
Butter/Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cardimum - 1 teaspoon
Saffron - 1/2 teaspoon
Almonds - 1/3 cup (blanched)
Water - 3 cups

Preparation:

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Roast suji till it turns golden brown (about 6- 7 minutes) on medium high tempareture.

Add the water slowly to the roasted suji and stir continuously. I like to boil water simultaneously at the time of roasting suji, this reduces the cooking time. Add blanched almonds and sugar to halwa. Some people use sugar syrup (see tips for sugar syrup).

After the suji is mixed add cardimum powder and mix it well, cover it and simmer the temp. Let it cook for 10 minutes, garnish with saffron and serve hot.


Preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes
# Servings - 4

Tips:

For blanched almonds:

Boil water in a sauce pan and add raw almonds to it let it cook for 5 minutes. Let it cool and peel the skin off cut them into thin slices.

For sugar syrup:

Melt sugar in the water and microwave it for 5 - 6 minutes. Pour the syrup after suji is roasted well.