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    Home » Sweets

    Published: Oct 25, 2018 · Modified: Mar 10, 2022 by Smruti · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Rava Sheera | Sooji Halwa

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    An easy to make yet addictive Indian dessert; Sooji Halwa is a must-have sweet for festivals and celebrations!

    Super quick, only a handful of ingredients and yet addictive! 

    A brown plate with sooji halwa served topped with rose petals and saffron with diya in the background.

    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.

    • Corn Flour Halva | Karachi Halwa
    • Instant Microwave Kesar Peda
    • Bombay Ice Halva
    • Kaju Katli

    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).

    More Indian Sweets

    • Carrot halwa in a bowl topped with shredded nuts and rose petals with nuts on the side.
      Instant Pot Gajar Halwa
    • Rose Peda in plate
      Instant Rose Peda
    • Kuler Ladoos in basket
      Kuler Ladoo
    • Serving Coconut ladoos
      Coconut Cranberry Pistachio Truffles

    I love seeing when you share my recipes!

    Tag me on Instagram @herbivorecucina or mention #herbivorecucina so I can enjoy them virtually with you! You can also find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Tik Tok, and YouTube.

    Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!

    A brown plate with sooji halwa served topped with rose petals on top; with diyas on the background.

    Rava Sheera | Sooji Halwa

    Smruti
    An easy to make yet addictive Indian dessert; Sooji Halwa is a must-have sweet for festivals and celebrations!
    Super quick, only a handful of ingredients and yet addictive! 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Sweets
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 10
    Calories 347 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup Semolina (Rava/Sooji)
    • 1 cup Ghee
    • 1 cup Sugar
    • ¾ cup Milk
    • 1½ cup Water
    • 2-3 pods Cardamom pods
    • 1-2 Cinnamon stick
    • 3-4 Cloves
    • ¼ cup Almonds
    • ¼ cup Cashews
    • 4-5 Raisins
    • 1 pinch Saffron

    Instructions
     

    • In a pan add ¼ cup ghee and sooji.
      1 cup Semolina (Rava/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.
      1 cup Ghee, 2-3 pods Cardamom pods, 1-2 Cinnamon stick, 3-4 Cloves
    • Fry for a minute and add almonds, cashews and raisins.
      ¼ cup Almonds, ¼ cup Cashews, 4-5 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.
      1 cup Sugar, ¾ cup Milk, 1 pinch Saffron, 1½ cup Water
    • 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).

    Notes

    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 10mgPotassium: 115mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 31IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg
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