Sooji Ka Halwa (Cream of wheat, Rava Halwa)

Sooji ka Halwa
(Cream of wheat Halwa)

Sooji Halwa is a traditional auspicious dish of India. It is prepared in almost every household for religious occasions as a parsad. After prayer halwa is offered to God and distributed to devotees as a blessing. On Navratri puja this sooji halwa is made along with kala chana and pooris for kanjak pooja. Halwa is also eaten for breakfast with poori . Sooji ka halwa is prepared with sooji (cream of wheat) and sugar. Sooji is first roasted with ghee or unsalted butter then sugar, water and nuts added to it to make halwa. The aromatic smells of roasting the cream of wheat produce sensation to eat in any one's mouth. Sooji halwa is one of the easiest sweet to prepare, it is also versatile - in the sense that different flavor essence can be added to give a special twist - so it’s like eating a different sweet every time. There are many ways to make this delicious dish. Here is the traditional recipe for making the halwa.

Ingredients:

½ Cup Sooji (Rava, Cream of wheat)
2     Tablespoons melted sweet butter or ghee
½    Cup sugar or to your taste
½    Teaspoon crushed green cardamoms seeds
10   Strings of saffron - crushed
2     Tablespoons of thin sliced almonds
2     Tablespoons of thin sliced  pistachio nuts
2     Cups of water

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Rava (Soozi)

Melted Butter

Saffron

Sugar

Sliced Almonds

Cardamon seeds

Sliced Pistachio

Directions:

1. In the Mortar and pestle crush Cardamoms seeds and saffron and keep it aside.

Crush Cardamoms seeds & Saffron

Crushed Cardamoms & Saffron

2. In a pan add Sooji (Rava).

3. Add melted sweet butter or Ghee.

In a pan add Rava

Add melted butter

4. Roast Rava on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or till the mixture becomes brown
color. Consistently stirring sooji (Rava) while frying, because sooji tends to
burn from the bottom.

Stir and roast Rava

Rava is roasted

5. Once the Sooji (Rava) become brown turn the heat down to low while you
add other ingredients.

6. Add sugar into sooji (Rava) and mix and stir for a minute.

Add Sugar

Mix sugar well with Rava

7. Add water.

8. Add crushed cardamoms and crushed saffron.

Add Water

Add Crushed Cardamom & saffron

9. Stir Rava for 5 to 6 minutes or until sugar dissolve and all the water absorbed
in the Rava (Sooji) add more water if needed, don’t forget to continuously stir
the halwa.

Mix water well

Let the water boil

10. Halwa becomes little thick.

11. Cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat to medium and let it cook for few
minutes.

Halwa become little thick

Cover the pan with a lid

12. The mixture will start thickening.

13. Add half of the sliced almonds and pistachios nuts and mix well with Halwa,
by this time Halwa becomes thick.

Add nuts in Halwa

Mix nuts with Halwa

14. Turn the heat off cover the pan and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Nuts are well mixed

Cover the pan with the lid

Sooji Halwa is ready

15. Once halwa is done transfer it into serving bowl and sprinkle other half of nuts
over the halwa for decorations. Serve it hot.

Sooji (Rava) Halwa

Tips:

1.  The roasting time depends on the way you like your halwa, some like it dark
     brown, while some like it light brown.

2. The amount of butter or ghee is added in the halwa is depend on preference,
    generally Sooji, sugar, and butler or ghee are added in same measurement.

Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.

Thank you

Geeta Seth

Other recipes:

Besan ka halwa (gram flour halwa)                      Gulab jamun

Carrot ka halwa (gajar ka halwa)                         Rasgulla

Lauki ka halwa (bottle gourd, ghiya)                  Gujhia

Sooji ka Halwa (Cream of wheat Halwa)

Sooji ka Halwa
(Cream of wheat Halwa)