Sooji Ka Halwa - Semolina Halwa

Sooji ka Halwa is a very popular Indian Dessert. Its quick and easy to make with just a few ingredients. Now halwa is a kind of pudding and there are different kinds of halwa - like Carrot Halwa, Moong Dal Halwa,  Pineapple Halwa to name a few. By the way  you can find all the recipes here at my blog.

Ingredients :

• 1 cup Sooji /Semolina
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter/ghee
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (cashews, pistachios)
• 3 cups water
• *1 tbsp Orange Food color (optional) or ** pinch of Saffron 

* 1 tbsp food coloring is prepared by adding just a bit of color(solid/liquid)  to 1 tbsp water.

** If you are considering using Saffron-  Take a pinch of saffron and dissolve it in 1 tbsp warm milk. 

Preparation : 

• In a sauce pan or pot add 3 cups of water and sugar. Heat it on medium flame until the sugar dissolves.Keep this aside.
• Now in a Kadhai or thick bottomed pan, melt the butter on medium flame. Add the chopped nuts and fry. Next add Sooji / Semolina and roast this in butter/ghee for about 5-6 minutes. This eliminates the raw smell of Sooji. Roast till you get a beautiful golden color.   Make sure to keep it on medium low flame or else the Sooji could get burnt. Keep stirring continuously. 
• Next very carefully add the water+sugar mixture to this roasted Sooji. Stir it well and keep it covered on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. The water will all be absorbed and it will get dry. (Now if you would like to add some food coloring you do it at this stage. Just add about 1 tbsp of saffron/orange color and then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes). Your Sooji Ka Halwa or Semolina Halwa is ready to be served. Also when you add the color it could be called as Rava Kesari. This recipe serves 4-6.