Sooji Halwa (Indian Semolina Pudding)
Sooji Halwa, or Sheera, is more than just a simple Indian pudding made with semolina, ghee, and sugar—it is my mom’s signature recipe that I’ve cherished growing up. It tastes absolutely divine, yet remarkably, it comes together in just 20 minutes.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Semolina (Sooji/Rava) fine
- 1/4 cup Ghee
- 1/3 cup Sugar can be increased to 1/2 cup or reduced to 1/4 cup depending on taste
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 1/2 cup Water reduce to 1 cup of water for a crumbly texture for sheera
- 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi)
- Saffron (Kesar) few strands
- 1/4 cup Mixed nuts chopped, divided (cashews, almonds, pistachios, raisins)
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine the milk, water, sugar, ground cardamom, and saffron. Stir at regular intervals. Once the liquids are heated and the sugar has fully dissolved, turn off the heat. We don’t need to boil or thicken the mixture.
- At the same time, heat a heavy-bottomed pan on medium-low flame. Add sooji and ghee to the pan. You want to roast the sooji at a low temperature while stirring continuously. I like to roast the sooji till it is golden, but it is purely a matter of preference. You can roast to a lighter brown color or to a deep golden color.
- Once the sooji is almost the desired golden color, add half of the nuts to the pan and roast them along with the semolina. Turn the flame to low as soon as the sooji turns golden.
- Carefully pour the boiled water and milk mixture into it while stirring continuously. Be careful, as there will be some splatter when you first pour, but keep stirring to avoid lumps.
- Keep stirring while the mixture combines and becomes a thick, dropping consistency. This should take 2-3 minutes. It should be a porridge-like consistency that can be easily served.
- Remove from the flame when it just begins to thicken. Garnish with the remaining nuts and serve it warm.
Video
Notes
Which semolina to use: 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 a 1:4 ratio of sooji to liquids in this recipe. This gives a pudding-like texture, preferred in North India. For a crumblier sheera texture, reduce the 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? Either water or a mixture of milk and water works, too. When using water, the color will be more brownish. If you use milk, the final Sooji Halwa will look whiter. Milk also gives the halwa a much smoother texture. My mom makes this halwa with just water, which is the traditional way. 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 of milk with 1 1/2 cups 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 make softer, perfectly cooked halwa, so don't skip that step. 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: This halwa is usually served warm. To reheat, place in microwave for 15-30 seconds.
Nutrition
Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg