Growing up, the traditional suji ka halwa / semolina pudding has been my utmost favorite dessert. Whenever we have a craving for meetha, suji halwa is our on-the-go dessert fix. A dessert which my mother prepares for every puja at home. The soft and sweet fragrance of suji roasted in ghee sets the aroma of the house. Her secret ingredient for suji halwa is - besan (gram flour) which makes it extra special). A spoonful of besan to the suji halwa add a nutty flavor and enhances the texture too.

The general recipe for suji halwa is 1:1:1:2 ratio of ghee, suji, sugar and water. You can use this as a standard ratio for any halwa.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (~200gm) suji (semolina)

1 cup (~200gm) desi ghee

1 cup (~200gm) sugar

3 cup water

1 1/2 tbsp besan (gram flour)

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1/2 cup dry fruits, chopped

METHOD

In a pan, turn on the flame to low and add ghee. When ghee is warm, add suji and cook it on low flame till golden brown and fragrant. Stir it continuously to avoid burning and roasting on low flame will let the suji cook evenly. This will take approx 10-12 minutes.

In a sauce pan, add 2 1/2 cups of water and sugar. Heat the mixture till the sugar melts completely. Turn off the flame and keep it aside. Add cardamom powder to it and mix well.

When the suji is roasted approx to 90%, add besan and mix evenly. Since the mixture is already hot, besan will roast quickly. Keep stirring the mixture continuously.

When suji / besan is roasted well, add the sugar / water mixture to it. Add it carefully as the ghee is very hot and it can splash. At this point, the arm muscles definitely come handy.😉 Stir the mixture continuously to avoid forming lumps. In between, add chopped almonds and pistachios, this way the dry fruits also get roasted to the correct amount.

Once the halwa starts to take a good shape, add 1/2 cup room temperature water and give it a good stir. The halwa is cooked when it starts to leave the sides of the pan. Turn off the flame, garnish with chopped nuts and serve hot.

NOTES

I like my suji halwa lightly sweetened. Feel free to vary the quantity of sugar as per requirement.

Feel free to add nuts of your choice. I like my halwa with almonds and pistachios.

The extra water added in the end keep the texture of the halwa soft and fluffy. Add the water as per requirement, make sure the halwa holds the water uniformly and doesn't get too sticky.