Warm, fragrant and full of ghee, sooji halwa is the sweet that appears at every pooja, festival and cold-evening craving. Slow-roasted sooji, sugar, cardamom and crunchy nuts are all it takes. Here's an easy sooji halwa recipe using Bambino Sooji that you can make at home in about 20 minutes.
Methods
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Bambino Sooji
- ½ cup ghee
- ¾ cup sugar, adjust to taste
- 2 cups water and ½ cup milk, heated together
- 4-5 cardamom pods, powdered
- 8-10 cashews
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 1 tbsp chopped almonds
- A few saffron strands, optional
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Fry the cashews, almonds and raisins until golden. Set aside.
- Add the remaining ghee and Bambino Sooji. Roast on low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until light golden and nutty in aroma.
- Pour in the hot water-milk mixture slowly, standing back as it will splutter. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
- Add sugar and cardamom powder. Cook on low for 3-4 minutes until the halwa thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.
- Stir in the fried nuts and saffron. Cover and rest for 2 minutes. Serve warm.
Tips for Perfect Sooji Halwa
- Always add hot liquid to roasted sooji
- Cold liquid causes lumps
- The classic ratio is 1 : ¾ : ½ : 2½ (sooji : sugar : ghee : liquid)
- Roast until the sooji smells nutty
- Under-roasting leaves a raw taste.
- Don't cut the ghee too much, or the halwa turns dry
Jaggery Halwa Variation
Replace the sugar with ¾ cup grated jaggery. Melt it in the hot water, strain, and add as the liquid in step 3. For a banana sheera, mash 1 ripe banana into the halwa in step 4.
Make It Ahead
Sooji halwa keeps well for 2 days at room temperature in winter and up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in a pan with a splash of milk to bring back the soft texture.