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Sooji Halwa (Indian Semolina Pudding)

Sooji Halwa, also known as Sheera, is a simple Indian semolina pudding made with semolina, sugar, and ghee. It tastes divine and takes just 20 minutes to prepare.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 121 kcal
Course: Dessert , Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Semolina (Sooji/Rava) fine
  • 1/4 cup ghee
  • 1/3 cup sugar can be increased to 1/2 cup depending on taste
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cup water reduce to 1 cup water for a crumbly texture for sheera
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi)
  • Saffron (Kesar) few strings
  • 1/4 cup mixed nuts chopped, divided (cashews, almonds, pistachios, raisins)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a pot, add the water, milk, sugar, cardamom and saffron. Heat on medium-high flame until it comes to a boil. Turn off once there is a boil.
  2. While the above step is going on, heat a pan on medium-low flame. Add sooji and ghee. Roast it while stirring continuously until it starts turning golden. 
  3. Add half of the nuts to the pan and roast along with the semolina. Turn the flame to low as soon as the sooji lightly browns.
  4. Pour in milk, water and sugar mixture, while stirring. Be careful as there will be some splatter when you initially start pouring, but that will stop once once of the mixture is added. 
  5. The halwa will boil and thicken. Keep stirring. 
  6. Remove from flame when it just thickens. Let it cool. Garnish with remaining nuts. Serve immediately. 

Notes

  • Which semolina to use for Sooji Halwa? Usually in the store you will find "fine" and "coarse" varieties of semolina. For Halwa, we use fine sooji.
  • Ratio of sooji to liquid: I use 1:4 ratio of sooji to liquids in this recipe. This gives a pudding-like texture that is preferred in North India. For a crumblier texture for sheera, you can reduce the amount of liquid by 1/2 cup. So, the ratio of sooji to liquid will be 1:3.
  • What to use: Milk or Water to make Suji Halwa? The easy answer is that either works or a mixture of both works, too. When using milk, the color will be more on the brownish side. If you use milk, the final Sooji Halwa will look more whitish in color. I prefer to use a combination of milk and water. Hence, in this recipe, I used a proportion of 1:3 milk to water—1/2 cup milk with 1 1/2 cup of water. 
  • Ghee: Don't skimp on ghee when making halwa. I have tried with less, and it does not taste as good :-)
  • Roasting Sooji: Be patient when roasting the semolina; it takes time. Roasting along with ghee definitely helps to speed up the process. 
  • Why boil the liquids separately? Boiling the liquids separately helps to make softer, perfectly cooked halwa, so don't skip that. It also helps to do the steps in parallel.
  •  separately? Boiling the liquids separately helps to make softer, perfectly cooked halwa, so don't skip that. It
  • Optional ingredients: Nuts, saffron, and cardamom are optional. Add or skip based on your taste and availability.
  • Serving: You can serve it warm (preferred) or cold. To reheat, place in microwave for 15-30 seconds. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 121kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 21mg (7%) Sodium 12mg (1%) Potassium 26mg (1%) Sugar 12g (24%) Vitamin A 35IU (1%) Calcium 25mg (3%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 121

% Daily Value*

Calories 121kcal 6%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 12mg 1%
Potassium 26mg 1%
Sugar 12g 24%
Vitamin A 35IU 1%
Calcium 25mg 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.