An easy to make yet addictive Indian dessert; Sooji Halwa is a MUST-HAVE sweet for festivals and celebrations! Super quick yet addictive!
I cannot believe we are ready to celebrate Diwali! The days are flying and I am trying to catch up on cooking, decorating, planning and posting! In no time we will be celebrating the festival of lights. A festival enjoyed with diyas, lights, sweets, rangoli and firecrackers, Diwali is my favorite Indian festival without a doubt!
Every year we make a LOT of sweets for the celebration. I have been adding these recipes to the blog regularly and it is wonderful to see the number of Indian sweets there are on the blog already.
If you have a sweet tooth and looking for easy but yummy sweets, check these out. Plus see this post with a collection of some SUPER AWESOME sweet and savory recipes for Diwali.
This year I started preparing for Diwali with one of our favorite snacks; Sweet Sakarpara. This is the next recipe; simple yet popular Indian sweet. This recipe of Sooji Halwa is my favorite. I have tried multiple recipes before settling for this one.
A cross of my grandmother's traditional recipe and some learnings from experiments I did over the years; this recipe is now my go-to recipe for all gatherings, festivals or sometimes just for sweet cravings!
How to get it RIGHT?
Sooji Halwa is THE recipe for a lot of households. For all celebrations big and small, we LOVE our sheera in all its forms. With just a few pantry ingredients and a simple to follow recipe; this sweet will come out perfect even on first attempt.
The essential ingredients in this recipe are sooji, ghee, sugar and milk. Everything else can be edited as per your choice, taste and availability. Some times I add a lot of nuts, sometimes I add just saffron and sometimes it is just the plain white version with cardamom.
The only important steps here are roasting the sooji well and cooking the halwa just right. If you shut off the gas too soon, it will be too thin. If it is goes beyond the point of just right; it will start to break into chunks. Neither will be appetizing.
Why make Sooji Halwa?
With a preparation time of minutes and active time of 15 minutes; this dessert doubles as a sweet. In an Indian meal, sweets have a great place and this one fits really well.
Generally a favorite for Indian sweet lovers, this recipe is great for gatherings. Super easy to scale, the recipe can be made in bulk really easily. Make the recipe before hand and it is great even at room temperature.
Whether served warm or at room temperature, this dessert can be refrigerated for a couple of days. The ghee might solidify in the refrigerator, so microwave the halwa for a minute before serving.
With all of this, I hope you try this recipe this festive season. If you do, I would love how it turns out for you. And yes, come back to the blog for more Diwali recipes this week and next!
Ingredients
Rava/Sooji/Semolina 1 cup
Ghee/Clarified Butter 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Milk ¾ cup
Water 1 ½ cup
Cardamom pods 2-3
Cinnamon stick 1-2
Cloves 3-4
Almonds and Cashews ¼ cup
Raisins 4-5
Saffron 4-5 strands
Dried Rose Petals and Silver Varakh (if using)
Method
In a pan add ¼ cup ghee and sooji. Mix well and roast on medium flame for 8-10 minutes till golden brown and flavorful. Ensure that the sooji does not burn.
Remove from flame and transfer to a plate. In the same pan add the remaining ghee and heat. Once hot add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and cloves. Fry for a minute and add almonds, cashews and raisins.
Mix well and let them turn golden. The raisins will puff up indicating it is done.
Add in the saffron and start pouring the milk. It will splutter so be careful while pouring. Add in the sugar and water. Bring to a boil and then add in the roasted sooji.
Stir continuously while adding the sooji to avoid lumps. The mixture will start to thicken slowly. Keep stirring till all the liquids are absorbed and the halwa becomes soft.
Turn down the heat and serve garnished with more nuts, dried rose petals and silver varakh (if using).
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