• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Tomato Blues logo

  • Recipes
  • Launch Your Food Blog
  • Shop
  • About
    • YouTube

Home » Recipes » Desserts And Sweets

Sooji Halwa- Halwa Poori

Last Modified: October 10, 2021

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Sooji Halwa or Suji Ka Halwa; however you call it, is a hug in a bowl. This easy Indian semolina pudding made with liberal doses of ghee is a must-make dish during the Navratri festival. Traditionally, this is served alongside Pooris, Kala Chana and some fruits on the day of Ashtami. 

In this post, we will see how to make Suji Halwa aka Kanjak Prashad, step by step. In the meanwhile, give us a follow on Pinterest for delicious pins.

Sooji ka Halwa served on a grey platter with poori and kala chana

 

Halwa Poori- Kanjak Prashad

Navratri is a festival during which we worship nine Goddesses on nine days during the month of October. Women worship the female deities and fast during these nine days. On the 8th day which falls on Ashtami, we offer a delicious feast to the Goddess.

This features Suji Halwa, Poori and Kala Chana. Along with this, we also offer fruits. We invite nine girls home for lunch, serve them this lunch and take their blessings. It is a strong belief that the nine girls symbolize the nine Goddesses.

The entire Prashad platter is sometimes loosely referred to as Halwa Poori Chana or Kanjak Prashad.

The Ashtami Prasad platter featuring sookhe Kala chana, sooji ka halwa, poori, chaas

Jump to:
  • Kesari vs Sooji ka Halwa
  • Ingredients
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Pro tips for the best Suji Ka Halwa
  • How to make Suji ka Halwa?
  • Recipe Notes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Recipe Notes
  •  
  • More dessert recipes

Kesari vs Sooji ka Halwa

We have several versions of semolina pudding across India. While this is called Suji ka Halwa up north, it is called as Kesari in Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka, it is Kesari Bath and in other parts, we refer to it as Sheera. 

There are several variations as well. One of them is this pineapple Kesari.

Ingredients

You can think of this Suji Ka Halwa as a rich pudding. Warm, nutty and mildly sweet, you will fall in love with this easy dessert that can easily feed a crowd. 

Semolina

You will need slightly coarse semolina for this recipe. This Halwa is not smooth. It has some texture. Fine semolina does not give us this desired texture. So I recommend using coarse semolina for best results.

Ghee

If I have to give one tip for making the best Sooji Ka Halwa, then it is this- DO NOT SKIMP ON THE GHEE!!. Ghee is the deal breaker here. That does not mean you add too much of it too. Please add the mentioned amount of ghee here for the best Halwa.

Sugar

Please use regular white sugar for this. As much as I know that it is not a healthy option, we can all surely indulge occasionally. While you can make this recipe with raw cane sugar, I somehow find that the white sugar version tastes best.

Aromatics

This recipe uses cardamom and rose water for aromatics. Rose and cardamom are two ingredients that shine through any dish when used together. This recipe is no exception. You can skip rose water if you are not a fan.

Dried fruit and nuts

Like all Indian desserts, cashews are added here too. These give a nice crunch to the Halwa. I do not like adding raisins to this but you can add some if you are a fan.

Suji Halwa Without Milk

There are many Suji ka Halwa recipe versions that use milk. However, this recipe does not use milk and relies on just water. As a result, this has a longer shelf life. This Halwa keeps well in the fridge for 4 days. 

Serving Suggestions

Even though this is a traditional Prashad recipe, it is also served as a dessert or even as a breakfast in many Indian homes. 

  1. Serve this semolina pudding with some piping hot Ginger tea and sandwiches for a fantastic breakfast.
  2. Make some Halwa as dessert for your Thanksgiving party or Diwali party. This recipe is just perfect since you can easily double or triple it.

Pro tips for the best Suji Ka Halwa

  1. Use a standard size measuring cup to measure your semolina, water and sugar. Proportions matter here big time. I have used a standard measuring cup and spoon set. Each cup mentioned here equals 250 ml and 1 tablespoon equals 15 ml.
  2. When mixing the Halwa at any stage, use a balloon whisk. This step will give you super smooth Halwa that has no lumps.
  3. Always cook the Halwa on low to medium heat. Slow cooked food tastes best and this recipe is no exception.
  4. If you are adding fried cashews, then fry them first, drain and set them aside. Add them at the end. This way, they will still remain crunchy.
  5. The longer you roast the semolina, the deeper the color of the Halwa will be. Not only will slow roasting give you a beautiful color but also a nutty flavor. So slow roast the semolina on the lowest heat possible until turns a a shade darker than golden brown. This takes about 6 to 8 minutes. 

sooji ka halwa served in a brass lunch box placed on a brass platter.

How to make Suji ka Halwa?

Roasting the Semolina

This step is what will make or break your Halwa. For this recipe, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan. Now, add 1 cup semolina and mix well. Turn down the heat to the lowest.

Begin roasting the semolina by stirring every now and then. Roast the semolina until turns a deep golden brown. This process easily takes somewhere between 6 to 8 minutes.

Cooking the semolina

Once you have finished roasting the semolina, you can see that color is all changed. See the above pic for reference. Immediately transfer the roasted semolina to a plate. 

Heat the same pan and add 2 tablespoon of ghee. Now, add the crushed cardamom and roasted semolina. Mix well.

Turn down the heat to the lowest. To this mixture, add 2.5 cups hot boiling water. I prefer to get my water started in my kettle before I begin adding the ghee and cardamom. This way, my water is ready when I need it.

If you are making a big batch of this Halwa, keep the water boiling by the side since you will be needing lot more water for a double batch.

Whisking to avoid lumps

Once you have added the water, use a balloon whisk and keep stirring through the mixture until it absorbs all the water. At one point, the Sooji will have absorbed all the water and become solid. It will also be bubbling here and there.

Allow this mixture to cook fully until the semolina is fully cooked. The semolina will look dry and fluffy once its cooked. This stage takes about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add ½ of the remaining ghee and stir well to combine. Continue stirring until you see no ghee on the surface.

Adding sugar

Look at the above picture. The second tile shows how the semolina looks once it s fully cooked. Now add the sugar and mix well using a balloon whisk. 

The mixture will become watery as soon as you add sugar. Now, add the remaining ghee and rose water. Stir well. Cook the mixture until it begins to solidify again. This takes around 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat.

The Halwa is completely cooked when it does not stick to your fingers and you can easily roll it into a small ball. Do not cook the Halwa till it is very dry. It has to be slightly gooey. Since this tends to thicken over time, I won’t recommend cooking this until its fully dry.

Once done, garnish with chopped nuts. I just added broken raw cashews. You can even add cashews fried in ghee. Our nutty Suji ka Halwa is ready.

You can either serve it as is or spread them on to a tray and slice them into squares.

Halwa Poori- Sooji Halwa served with chana and poori

Recipe Notes

  1. Do not add the sugar until the semolina is fully cooked. The semolina stops cooking as soon as the sugar is added.
  2. Always make this Halwa on lowest heat possible. Its time consuming but worth the wait and effort.
  3. The water has to be boiling hot. If you add warm or cold water, then semolina will turn lumpy.
  4. Using a balloon whisk to stir the Halwa gives the best results.
  5. I have just added raw cashews as garnish. You can add slivered almonds and pistachios too.

Our favorite products here

I have used a triply stainless steel pan to cook this Halwa today. In addition to this, I relied on my trusted tool- the balloon whisk to complete cooking this Halwa to perfection. 

Here is the link for the pan- Prestige Triply Plan

Recipe Card

📖 Recipe

Halwa Poori- Sooji Halwa served with chana and poori
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Sooji Halwa

Sooji Halwa; Indian semolina pudding recipe. This Halwa is a part of the Ashtami Prasad and is served with Poori and Kala Chana traditionally.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Course: Dessert, Indian sweets
Cuisine: Indian, North Indian
Servings: 8
Calories: 326kcal

Equipment

  • Heavy bottomed Saute pan
  • Balloon whisk

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Coarse semolina Sooji ( Bombay Rava)
  • 10 tablespoon ghee
  • 4 green cardamoms crushed
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2.5 cups hot boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon edible rose water

For garnish

  • 12 cashews broken

Instructions

Roasting the Semolina

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan.
  • Now, add 1 cup semolina and mix well.
  • Turn down the heat to the lowest.
  • Begin roasting the semolina by stirring every now and then.
  • Roast the semolina until turns a deep golden brown.
  • This process easily takes somewhere between 6 to 8 minutes.

Cooking the semolina

  • Once you have finished roasting the semolina, you can see that color is all changed.
  • Immediately transfer the roasted semolina to a plate.
  • Heat the same pan and add 2 tablespoon of ghee.
  • Now, add the crushed cardamom and roasted semolina. Mix well.
  • Turn down the heat to the lowest.
  • To this mixture, add hot boiling water.

Whisking to avoid lumps

  • Once you have added the water, use a balloon whisk and keep stirring through the mixture until it absorbs all the water. At one point, the Sooji will have absorbed all the water and become solid.
  • Allow this mixture to cook fully until the semolina is fully cooked.
  • The semolina will look dry and fluffy once its cooked.
  • This stage takes about 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add ½ of the remaining ghee and stir well to combine.
  • Continue stirring until you see no ghee on the surface.

Adding sugar

  • Look at the above picture. The second tile shows how the semolina looks once it s fully cooked. Now add the sugar and mix well using a balloon whisk.
  • The mixture will become watery as soon as you add sugar.
  • Now, add the remaining ghee and rose water.
  • Stir well.
  • Cook the mixture until it begins to solidify again.
  • This takes around 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat.
  • The Halwa is completely cooked when it does not stick to your fingers and you can easily roll it into a small ball.
  • Once done, garnish with chopped nuts.
  • You can either serve it as is or spread them on to a tray and slice them into squares.

Notes

Recipe Notes

  1. Do not add the sugar until the semolina is fully cooked. The semolina stops cooking as soon as the sugar is added.
  2. Always make this Halwa on lowest heat possible. Its time consuming but worth the wait and effort.
  3. The water has to be boiling hot. If you add warm or cold water, then semolina will turn lumpy.
  4. Using a balloon whisk to stir the Halwa gives the best results.
  5. I have just added raw cashews as garnish. You can add slivered almonds and pistachios too.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

 

More dessert recipes

  • Kala Jamun cut into two and presented
    Kala Jamun | Soft Black Jamun
  • Makhane Ki kheer served in a wooden bowl placed on a wooden plate with makhane in the background
    Makhane Ki Kheer| Makhana Kheer
  • Sabudana kheer- a creamy indian dessert made with sago pearls and milk. Served in a glass bowl placed on slate board.
    Sabudana Kheer | Javvarisi Payasam
  • besan ladoo
    Besan Ladoo Recipe| Navratri Recipes

Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for regular cooking updates and short videos. Find us on  Pinterest for delicious content. Tried this Sooji Halwa recipe? We would love to hear any feedback! Please leave a recipe rating and tell us how it worked for you. Email us your questions to anusapraj@gmail.com if you need any guidance in making this recipe.

This post includes affiliate links. We earn a small commission when you click and buy through these links. This is what helps keep me keep the blog afloat. Thank you if you bought one of our recommended products.

« Kala Chana- Instant Pot Brown Chickpeas
Butternut Squash Chili- Vegan & GF »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

HELLO AND WELCOME

Hi! I m Anusha. A very warm welcome to my blog Tomato Blues. I m an advocate by profession and chose to become a food blogger later. I live in Singapore with my husband and daughter. Tomato Blues – About The Author

BAKING RECIPES

  • soft cinnamon rolls from scratch baked in the air fryer oven recipes
  • freshly baked pull apart rolls filled with store bought pasta sauce in a baking tray. Spatulas, a jar of sauce and some vegan butter by the side.
  • Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread

EASY WEEKNIGHT DINNERS

Easy and fresh Healthyish Weeknight Dinners
Weeknight Dinner Ideas

Asian Inspired Recipes

  • A platter featuring essential Thai herbs including galangal and lemongrass
    A beginner’s guide to Thai Herbs
  • Instant pot vegan Thai noodle soup
    Vegan Thai Noodle Soup (Instant Pot)
  • vegan summer rolls served on a plate with a spicy dipping sauce and herbs
    Vegan Summer Rolls- Rice Paper Rolls
  • Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai served on a teal blue plate with a lime wedge and chopsticks
    Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai | Gluten-free

Footer

^ back to top

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2020 Anusha Rajagopal www.tomatoblues.com

Privacy Policy