Suji Ka Halwa

The semolina is toasted in fat before any liquid, and the sweetener can be syrup, honey or jaggery.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (ghee), dairy (milk), honey.

Ingredients

• 250 g semolina, suji
• 150 g ghee
• 200 g sugar, or 200 g jaggery, or 150 g honey
• 600 ml water
• 200 ml milk
• 4 cardamom pods, seeds ground
• 40 g almonds, slivered
• 30 g raisins

Method

1. THE SEMOLINA IS TOASTED IN FAT BEFORE ANY LIQUID, AND THE SWEETENER CAN BE SYRUP, HONEY OR JAGGERY. Its article defines the dish by exactly that: made by TOASTING SEMOLINA in a fat such as ghee or oil, AND ADDING a sweetener LIKE SUGAR SYRUP, HONEY, OR JAGGERY POWDER. Toasting first is the whole technique -- untoasted semolina with hot liquid poured on it makes a sweet porridge, and toasted it stays in separate grains that swell. And the sweetener being a choice of three matters: honey cannot be boiled with it, so it goes in at the end, while a sugar syrup goes in hot.
2. THE TOASTING TAKES TEN MINUTES AND IS THE LONGEST PART. Semolina in the ghee over a medium heat, stirred without stopping, until it has gone a shade darker and smells of biscuit. Stopped early, the halwa tastes raw.
3. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF GHEE AND THAT IS NOT A MISTAKE. A hundred and fifty grams to two hundred and fifty of semolina. Less, and it will not toast evenly.
4. THE LIQUID GOES IN HOT AND ALL AT ONCE, AND IT WILL SPIT. Water and milk together, boiling, poured in off the heat and then stirred hard. Added cold it goes lumpy.
5. ITS ARTICLE'S BASIC RECIPE IS SHORTER THAN MOST. Just semolina, sugar or honey, ghee, AND SOMETIMES MILK. So the milk is optional and water alone gives a lighter, cleaner version.
6. WHEAT FLOUR IS A LEGITIMATE SUBSTITUTE AND ITS ARTICLE SAYS SO. Often used if semolina is not available, and it notes that virtually any starch will work. It is a different texture, smoother and heavier.
7. IT IS STIRRED UNTIL IT COMES AWAY FROM THE PAN. Five or six minutes after the liquid. Then it is done.
8. THE CARDAMOM AND NUTS GO IN AT THE END. Its article lists dried or fresh fruits, nuts and shredded coconut among the usual variations.
9. IT IS A BREAKFAST AS WELL AS A PUDDING, WHICH ITS ARTICLE SAYS PLAINLY. Served for breakfast or as a dessert.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes