Rich, indulgent, super easy to make, that’s Suji Ka Halwa or Sooji Halwa, you guys! It is Indian Semolina Pudding which can be made using three ingredients in just no time. Serve it for dessert or as breakfast.
If you prefer making Halwa for your weekend treats or for special occasions, here are some more of them that you can make – Bread Halwa, Beetroot Halwa, Aate Ka Halwa, Lauki Ka Halwa, Aloo Ka Halwa, Rajgira Halwa, and Rajasthani Moong Dal Halwa.
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About This Recipe
Suji Ka Halwa or Sooji Halwa is a simple Indian pudding made using fine semolina and is a 15-minute affair. This Indian Semolina Pudding is also called as Rava Kesari or Rava Sheera in some parts of the country.
Often during Puja or a festive ritual, Suji Halwa is prepared along with Panchamrit in most of the Indian households. In my house, the Ashtami Prashad is always Suji Ka Halwa Puri along with Sookhe Kale Chane and Puri. This Prashad is distributed among the family members and young girls and boys.
All it takes is just three main ingredients (Sooji, Ghee, and Sugar) and fifteen minutes on your watch to prepare this delicious dessert. I agree that it is slightly loaded with calories because of ghee and sugar, but we don’t eat Sooji Halwa daily, right?
For that once in a while, out of the blue sweet tooth craving, it is just perfect. Also, as I said when it comes to festivals or celebrations, nothing tastes yummier than Sooji Halwa.
Also don’t decrease the amount of ghee, because this is the ingredient that does all the magic. You can adjust the amount of sugar though, according to how sweet you want it to be.
Along with varieties of Kheer such as Seviyan Kheer, Badam Kheer, and Rice Kheer, this Sooji Halwa is my favorite to serve as a dessert for weekend special meals.
This Sooji Halwa is,
- Easy & Quick
- Delicious
- Perfect for festivals
- Made with just 3 ingredients
Ingredients
To make this Halwa, you just need three ingredients –
Sooji – I prefer to use fine sooji to make sooji halwa. It becomes softer and the sooji gets cooked very nicely.
You can use other varieties of sooji too, but the result won’t be as great as fine sooji.
Sugar – I generally use raw sugar in my kitchen but you can use any sugar that you have at hand. You can also use powdered jaggery instead of sugar to make this halwa.
Ghee – This dessert tastes best when made in ghee. Do not make it in oil or butter.
Add in some crushed dry fruits such as Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios, and Raisins for a lovely crunch. I also like to flavor it sometimes with crushed cardamom or cardamom powder and a pinch of saffron.
Step By Step Recipe
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan.
When the ghee is hot, add sooji and fry till sooji turns light golden brown
Add cashew nuts, almonds and raisins.
Fry until sooji turns nicely golden brown
Add water and cook on low heat till all the water is absorbed by sooji and sooji is softened.
Add sugar and cook for 2-3 minutes, until sugar melts and the halwa is slightly brownish in color.
Garnish the halwa with slivered dry fruits and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can replace water with milk in the recipe. It will make the halwa richer and softer, however, the shelf life of halwa will be reduced. But make sure the milk is warm when you are adding it in the pan.
I usually don’t make this halwa in the microwave but here is a detailed post that you can read about the process.
Variations
You can use milk in place of water for a richer version.
Add pineapple juice and pineapple chunks to this halwa to make Pineapple Sooji Halwa.
You can also add mashed banana to this halwa.
Try adding strawberry puree or mango puree for a fruity version.
Add a pinch of saffron for a richer taste.
Storage Suggestions
Sooji Halwa will last in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. Reheat in in microwave or pan until nice and warm before serving.
The best way to reheat sooji halwa is in a microwave. Just sprinkle some water on it and cover and heat for 1 minute. Then mix well. If it still requires some more heating, keep again for 30-40 seconds.
But in case you don’t have a microwave, just bring the halwa to room temperature. Mix it well, sprinkle some water on it, and heat on low heat in a pan. Keep mixing while heating the halwa and add more water if needed.
Serving Suggestions
This Sooji Halwa can be served to your guests, when they come to visit you during festivals like Diwali, Holi, Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, and other special occasions.
I like to serve it as a dessert after my weekend North Indian or South Indian meals or even as a part of a festive meal.
Pro Tips By Neha
Use fine variety of Sooji or Rava to make this delicious Suji Halwa.
If you like lighter coloured Halwa, roast it until aromatic, but if you like it to be darker in colour, roast more until it changes its colour. Make sure you don’t burn the Sooji.
You can reduce the amount of sugar as per your taste. You can also add powdered jaggery for a healthy alternative.
To make Sooji Ka Halwa more creamy and rich, add in full fat or whole milk instead of water.
You can also add in edible camphor for that temple touch in your Rava Halwa.
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Recipe Card
Suji ka Halwa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Ghee
- 5-6 Cashew Nuts (Chopped)
- 5-6 Almonds (Chopped)
- 10-12 Raisins
- 1/2 cup Fine Sooji / Semolina
- 2 cups Water
- 1/2 cup Sugar
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan.
- When the ghee is hot, add sooji and fry till sooji turns light golden brown.
- Add cashew nuts, almonds and raisins.
- Fry until sooji turns nicely golden brown.
- Keep stirring constantly.
- Add water and cook on low heat till all the water is absorbed by sooji and sooji is softened.
- Add sugar and cook for 2-3 minutes, until sugar melts and the halwa is slightly brownish in color.
- Garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios.
- Serve hot.
ankita suman
Your recipes are just awesome and tasty….I really wait for your new recipes…please post few more non vegetarian recipes…this sooji halwa came out perfect…can we use milk instead of water in this recipe…if yes…please mention the quantity…thank you…take care…
msnehamathur
Thnx Ankita. Yes you can use Milk in this recipe. Use same amount as water , but only use warm milk not cold.
Sathya @Mykitchenodyssey
What a delightful presentation..Halwa looks too good.
msnehamathur
Thnx sathya
Sana Batool
great job
Sana Batool
looking soo yummy
msnehamathur
Thnx Sana
Diya
Sorry if this seems like a strange question but how can I ensure accurate measurements? Should I use a cup meaure or convert this into gms? I’m a first time cook!
Neha Mathur
For baking, I always suggest weighing the ingredients but for cooking, I use standard cup and spoon measures and they work out perfectly fine.
kadhi pakora recipe
great recipe, Thank you for sharing with us, the presentation is too good.
Neha Mathur
Thnx
Shafinah
Hi Neha,
Tried this recipe, it taste great thank you! Nonetheless, is there anyway I can troubleshoot should I happen to have a quite dry texture, I’ve always preferred it wet. Is there anything I can do to the made halwa to make it slightly wet, would adding ghee or water help whilst heating it over the fire again?
Thanks!
Neha Mathur
Thnx for trying Shafinah. This recipe requires a lot of ghee to keep it moist. I hope you have followed the measurements. If it’s still dry, splash some milk while reheating.