Sooji Halwa, also known as Sheera, is a simple Indian semolina pudding made with semolina, sugar, and ghee. It tastes divine and takes just 20 minutes to prepare.

Two bowls of sooji halwa topped with nuts and saffron
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This delicious Indian dessert is prepared all over India and has many different names. In North India, it is Sooji or Suji ka Halwa or Rava Halwa (rava is another name for semolina). In Maharashtra, it is called Sheera or Rava Sheera. In South India, it is popular as Kesari with the addition of saffron or food color. In Karnataka, it is called Sajjige. This semolina pudding is popular in Europe as well.

The popularity of this sooji halwa is due to its easy preparation and ability to be whipped up quickly.

Sooji ka Halwa is often an offering to the gods for Ashtami or Navratri Pooja. It is also an offering made during Satyanarayan Pooja. These festivals have a significant meaning in India, which makes this halwa so popular.

Watch How to Make Sooji Halwa

What is Halwa?

Halwa is typically made of flour (of various kinds), sugar, nuts, water, and some fat (oil or ghee). It has roots in many cultures, such as Turkish Halva, Indian Karachi Halwa, and Spanish Turron.

This sooji halwa is made with semolina, sugar, ghee, and water (and/or milk). Cardamom powder, nuts, and saffron are optional but recommended to enhance flavor and nutrition.

Check out other popular Halwa recipes:

What is Semolina?

Semolina is a coarse flour made from durum wheat. It is usually golden or off-white in color and can have a more earthy aroma than common wheat flour. Semolina is high in gluten and high in protein.

It is commonly used to make pudding, porridge such as this thick Rava Upma, and sometimes cakes such as this Orange Semolina Cake.

Note: Semolina is entirely different than cornmeal, which is made from corn.

Ingredients

Making sooji halwa is very easy, but the important thing to note is to follow the proportions. Once you have the proportions right and a bit of patience to roast the sooji well, this sooji halwa is very easy to make.

Let’s start with the ingredients for the Sooji Halwa.

semolina sooji halwa ingredients

Starting from the top, we have sugar, sooji (semolina), ghee, nuts and raisins, cardamom and saffron, and milk (+ water).

Here are some questions I used to get for the ingredients when making Sooji ka Halwa.

Which semolina to use for Sooji Halwa?

Usually, you will find “fine” and “coarse” varieties of sooji at the store. For Halwa, we use fine semolina.

What to use: Milk or Water to make Suji Halwa?

The easy answer is that either work or a mixture of both milk and water works, too. When using water, the color will be more brownish. If you use milk, the final Sooji Halwa will look more white.

Milk also gives the halwa a much smoother texture. I prefer to use a combination of milk and water. Hence, in this recipe, I used a 1:3 ratio of milk to water—1/2 cup milk with 1 1/2 cups of water.

How to Make Sooji Halwa?

In a small pot, boil the milk, water, sugar, ground cardamom, and saffron. Stir at regular intervals. Once the milk is boiling and the sugar has mixed completely, turn off the flame.

boiling sooji halwa in a pot

At the same time, heat another pan on medium-low flame. Add sooji and ghee to the pan. Roast the sooji till lightly brown. You want to roast the sooji at a low temperature while stirring continuously.

roast ghee and semolina in a black pan

Keep a close eye on it, as it can go from lightly brown to dark brown very quickly. Add nuts when it has turned golden, so they will roast along with the semolina.

Add half of the mixed nuts

Spoiler Alert: Your house will smell divine with the smell of ghee while roasting this sooji.

Once the semolina is roasted, reduce the heat to low. Carefully pour the boiled water and milk mixture into it. Be careful, as there will initially be some splatters.

thicken semolina halwa in a pan

Now, keep stirring while the mixture combines and becomes a dropping consistency. This should take 2-3 minutes. It should be a porridge-like consistency that can be easily served.

However, as it cools, the sooji halwa will set completely. You can break it with a ladle and reheat it in a microwave to consume. Once heated, it will become fresh as if it had just been made.

cooked sooji halwa in a pan

 

Some people like to add a teaspoon of rose water for the wonderful aroma.

Sooji ka Halwa in 2 bowls topped with nuts and saffron

Tips to make perfect Sooji Halwa or Sheera

Don’t skimp on ghee when making halwa. I have tried it with less, and it does not taste as good.

Be patient when roasting the semolina; it takes time. But roasting along with ghee definitely helps to speed the process.

Boiling the liquids helps to make softer, perfectly cooked halwa. So don’t skip that; it also helps to do the steps in parallel.

Nuts, saffron, and cardamom are optional. Add or skip based on your taste and availability.

I recently made this suji halwa at a friend’s place for dinner, and believe me, it was gone in minutes. It is delicate and aromatic, which makes it hard to resist.

Semolina Pudding with Kala Chana & Poori (Ashtami prasad)

Every year for Ashtami, we make Kala Chana with this Sooji Halwa and Poori. It takes me back to my childhood days when I would get this Prasad for Kanjak or Kanya Pooja (young girls until 9 years of age are worshipped on this day). This is the best combination you will ever have!

Semolina Pudding with Kala Chana & Poori in front of my daughter

Give this Suji ka Halwa a try, and don’t forget to let me know how it turned out.

Check out other recipes with semolina – Rava Dhokla, Rava Upma and Orange Semolina Cake.

More Indian Sweet Recipes

4.94 from 31 votes

Sooji Halwa (Indian Semolina Pudding)

Sooji Halwa, also known as Sheera, is a simple Indian semolina pudding made with semolina, sugar, and ghee. It tastes divine and takes just 20 minutes to prepare.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Video

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a pot, add the water, milk, sugar, cardamom and saffron. Heat on medium-high flame until it comes to a boil. Turn off once there is a boil.
  • While the above step is going on, heat a pan on medium-low flame. Add sooji and ghee. Roast it while stirring continuously until it starts turning golden. 
  • Add half of the nuts to the pan and roast along with the semolina. Turn the flame to low as soon as the sooji lightly browns.
  • Pour in milk, water and sugar mixture, while stirring. Be careful as there will be some splatter when you initially start pouring, but that will stop once once of the mixture is added. 
  • The halwa will boil and thicken. Keep stirring. 
  • Remove from flame when it just thickens. Let it cool. Garnish with remaining nuts. Serve immediately. 

Notes

Which semolina to use for Sooji Halwa? Usually in the store you will find “fine” and “coarse” varieties of semolina. For Halwa, we use fine sooji.
Ratio of sooji to liquid: I use 1:4 ratio of sooji to liquids in this recipe. This gives a pudding-like texture that is preferred in North India. For a crumblier texture for sheera, you can reduce the amount of liquid by 1/2 cup. So, the ratio of sooji to liquid will be 1:3.
What to use: Milk or Water to make Suji Halwa? The easy answer is that either works or a mixture of both works, too. When using milk, the color will be more on the brownish side. If you use milk, the final Sooji Halwa will look more whitish in color. I prefer to use a combination of milk and water. Hence, in this recipe, I used a proportion of 1:3 milk to water—1/2 cup milk with 1 1/2 cup of water. 
Ghee: Don’t skimp on ghee when making halwa. I have tried with less, and it does not taste as good 🙂
Roasting Sooji: Be patient when roasting the semolina; it takes time. Roasting along with ghee definitely helps to speed up the process. 
Why boil the liquids separately? Boiling the liquids separately helps to make softer, perfectly cooked halwa, so don’t skip that. It also helps to do the steps in parallel.
Optional ingredients: Nuts, saffron, and cardamom are optional. Add or skip based on your taste and availability.
Serving: You can serve it warm (preferred) or cold. To reheat, place in microwave for 15-30 seconds. 

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 12gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 12mgPotassium: 26mgSugar: 12gVitamin A: 35IUCalcium: 25mg

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Mention @pipingpotcurry or tag #pipingpotcurry!

About Meeta

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. My passion is to share easy, healthy, and wholesome recipes made using Instant Pot & Air Fryer, that are well tested, so you can cook with confidence.

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4.94 from 31 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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19 Comments

  1. Way too much liquid, I don’t like soggy sooji so wet, it should start out with a smaller amount and add as needed. Also way too much sugar.

    1. Hi Varsha – Sorry to hear you did not enjoy the halwa. For halwa, it is best to add the liquid at once, as the sooji soaks it all up quickly. As this halwa rests, it gets dry in texture.

  2. We made your halwa and chana recipe for ashtami pooja today. Everything came out great. Thank you for the recipes. 🙂

    1. Hi Sonia – For a more crumbly texture, you can reduce the amount of liquid by 1/2 cup. So the ratio of sooji to liquid will be 1:3. Hope you enjoy the halwa.

  3. Amazing taste, keep up the great work. I discovered your website during this lockdown and have tried many of your recipes, with yummy results.

    1. Hi Amit – Glad to hear you have been enjoying the recipes! Thank you for sharing back your experience.

  4. “Wow so classy and mouth watering halwa recipe i loved it and please keep posting such tempting halwa recipe because i am Learner of making new and different halwa.

    Thanks you Very much For Sharing “