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sooji halwa recipe, how to make sooji ka halwa recipe | rava sheera recipe

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sooji halwa
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sooji halwa recipe with step by step photos – sooji halwa is a quick, easy and delicious halwa which is often made in most indian homes.

the same dish is known as rava sheera in western india and rava kesari in south india. the method of preparation is more or less similar, with the the other ingredients being changed here and there. though rava or semolina remains the key ingredient. in some variations milk is added instead of water. for flavoring usually cardamom powder is added. saffron threads or kesar can also be added like this saffron suji halwa recipe. for more halwa varieties, you can check this collection of 28 halwa recipes.

the rava kesari that is popular in south india, usually has orange synthetic color added. but you can make the same, with natural coloring agents like saffron threads or powder.

sooji ka halwa is often made for an auspicious occasion or a pooja. it could also be a festive occasion like diwali, ganesh chaturthi or a religious ceremony conducted in your home or you just want to have something sweet. since this is a easy and quick halwa recipe, so you don’t need any excuse or occasion to make it.

if you are making sooji halwa for religious occasions then add a pinch of edible camphor in it. during 8th or 9th day of  navratri festival, this sooji halwa is made along with dry kala chana and pooris for kanjak pooja.

i often make sooji halwa as a bhog/naivedyam to be offered to the deities. this recipe has a good amount of ghee. reduce the ghee, if you prefer. i have also added edible camphor in this one. skip it if you don’t have.

sooji halwa is often made in bulk on festive or religious occasions. if you want to make a large quantity, then there is a certain proportion you have to follow. i always follow this proportion for making small or large quantities. the ratio of sooji/semolina to sugar to water to ghee is 1:1:2:0.5

i usually add a bit less amount of sugar and ghee. for e.g if its 1 cup of sooji, then i add ½ or ¾th cup of sugar. so the one i make is less sweet or just sweet. 1 cup sugar will give a more sweet taste. i also add 1/3rd or ½th cup ghee the water can also be increased depending on the quality of the rava and if you want a pudding like consistency.

you can have sooji halwa plain or have with pooris. it can also be served as a dessert.

sooji ka halwa recipe quick video (1.02 minutes video)

if you are looking for more sweets recipes then do check

rava sheera or sooji ka halwa recipe below:

4.58 from 35 votes
sooji halwa recipe
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sooji halwa recipe | rava sheera recipe
prep time
1 min
cook time
14 mins
total time
15 mins
 

sooji ka halwa recipe - classic indian semolina pudding made with ghee and dry fruits.

course: desserts
cuisine: indian
servings: 3 to 4
calories: 379 kcal
author: dassana amit
ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
  • ½ cup sooji (rava or semolina or cream of wheat) - i have used a fine variety of sooji
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup sugar or add as required
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup ghee
  • 4 to 5 green cardamoms - powdered in a mortar-pestle, husks discarded. OR approx ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (choti elaichi powder)
  • 10 to 12 cashews - halved or whole (kaju)
  • 2 tablespoons raisins (kishmish)
  • 1 teaspoon chironji (optional)
  • 1 to 1.25 cups water
  • 1 pinch edible camphor (optional)
how to make recipe
  1. crush the cardamoms to a fine powder in a mortar-pestle and keep aside.
  2. keep a kadai or pan on a low flame.
  3. add the ghee and when the ghee is heating up, do the following.
  4. take the sugar and water in another pan.
  5. keep this pan on a medium to high flame and let the sugar solution come to a boil.
  6. once the ghee becomes hot, add the semolina & cashews and stir.

  7. keep on stirring the sooji (semolina) so that it does not stick to the pan and is roasted evenly.

  8. in the meanwhile keep your attention also on the sugar solution.
  9. if the mixture starts to boil, then lower the flame and let it simmer.
  10. keep on sauteing & stirring the semolina for 7-8 mins till the grains change their color and when the cashews also change to a light golden.
  11. then add the cardamom powder, raisins and edible camphor.
  12. stir and then add the bubbling hot sugar solution slowly.
  13. be careful as the mixture has the tendency to splutter.
  14. be quick enough to stir. the sooji will begin to absorb the water and swell.
  15. keep on stirring often till the whole mixture starts thickening and starts to leave the edge of the kadai or pan.
  16. serve sooji halwa hot or warm or when cooled.
recipe notes
  • for less sweet taste in rava sheera, add ¼ cup sugar. for a more sweet taste add 1/3 cup sugar.

this approximate nutrition info is per serving:

Nutrition Facts
sooji halwa recipe | rava sheera recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 379 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 44mg 15%
Sodium 42mg 2%
Potassium 167mg 5%
Total Carbohydrates 48g 16%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 23g
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin A 10.7%
Vitamin C 0.7%
Calcium 21.5%
Iron 57.4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.


how to make rava sheera or sooji halwa recipe:

1. heat ¼ to ⅓ cup ghee in a kadai or a thick bottomed pan.

heat ghee to make sooji halwa recipe

2. add ½ cup sooji (rava or semolina). i have used fine variety of sooji. also add 10-12 cashews/kaju, halved or whole.

roasting sooji for sooji halwa recipe

3. start roasting the sooji and cashews. keep on stirring the sooji so that it does not stick to the pan and is roasted evenly. in the pic below, you can see the sooji changing color.

roasting sooji for sooji halwa recipe

4.  roast sooji till you can see the ghee getting separated and when you see the cashews getting browned. the color of the rava should not become brown. this takes approx 7-8 minutes on a low flame. this step is important because if sooji is not roasted well then you will not get perfect texture in the halwa. there will be slight raw taste in the sooji halwa.

roasting sooji for sooji halwa recipe

5. add 1 tsp chironji (optional), 2 tbsp raisins (kishmish), a pinch of edible camphor (optional) and cardamom powder (4 to 5 cardamoms, powdered in a mortar-pestle, husks discarded). you can also add sliced almonds or pistachios.

add cardamom to sooji halwa recipe

6. when you keep the sooji for roasting in the ghee, at the same time, take 1 to 1.25 cups water and (¼ to ⅓ cup) sugar in another pan.

sugar solution for sooji halwa

7. stir so that the sugar dissolves.

heating water to make sooji halwa

8. bring the water+sugar solution to a boil.

heating water to make sooji halwa

9. once you stir the raisins, cardamom powder and chironji, then pour the boiling sugar solution in the ghee-sooji mixture slowly, with continuous stirring. pour carefully, as the mixture sizzles and splutters.

add water to sooji halwa

10. the sooji will begin to absorb the water and swell.

making sooji halwa recipe

11. the mixture will start thickening. keep on stirring often.

making sooji halwa recipe

12. the sooji mixture has thickened but still soft and moist and the consistency like that of a pudding.

making sooji halwa

13. once all the water is absorbed, you will notice the change in the texture. the ghee also will be visible at the sides. the final texture below. if you want to make slices, then immediately pour the sooji halwa mixture in a greased pan or tray. spread evenly and when warm or cooled, cut into diamond shaped or square slices.

making sooji halwa recipe

14. serve sooji ka halwa hot or warm or when cooled down. for more sooji recipes, you can check this post – 33 sooji recipes (snacks and sweets).

sooji halwa recipe




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Reader Interactions

{ 81 Responses }

  1. Super! Made this per recipe without the chironji n camphor: turned out excellent! Just like the prasaad served at temples and gurdwaras .

  2. Thank you dassana for such a scrumptious recipe!
    Really turned out very well.. as do all your recipes!
    Thanks heaps for sharing such accurate recipes with precise details, love your accompanying pictures too.
    Lots of love and gratitude😘

    P. S. : I prepared this as naivedya for dasara and it tasted awesome!

  4. I love ur website….I am a keralaite…sooji halwa is actually not our recipe. …but I always loved to have it……as my hubby enjoys it a lot I made it…. it came out very interestingly….yummy…my two year old girl have it as well…..thank u

  5. Your techniques and style if cooking really work for me. Thanks for the lovely recipe.

  6. Thanks for ur explanations…I would like to know the protein content…is it good for a kidney disease patients to eat sooji?

    • sooji is made from wheat grains. so the protein content is less, but is good in carbs. so you can include it your food. but do take advise from your doctor or health practitioner as to the food ingredients that you can safely include in your meals.

  7. Dassana….I want to try…three layer bottom of biscuits n butter mixed….middle your sooji halwa…on top yr chocolate sauce…pl guide me as to how to make base using biscuit n butter…

    • shubha, for butter and biscuits layer, you can check the method in the links mentioned below. but in these links, the biscuits is ground and then made in a layer. you can of course make a thick layer. use any good quality crackers or marie biscuits. you can increase the proportions accordingly. btw your recipe is very innovative and i am sure will taste good too.

      mango cheesecake – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-mango-cheesecake-recipe/
      eggless cheesecake recipe – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-cheesecake-recipe/

      • Thank you dassana for the link… Got idea from I live cooking show of living foods..maria did boiled oranges with sooji…I just thought of skipping oranges…I m entirely dependent on your measurements… I know ur sooji halwa n choclate sauce…One more doubt dear…. Can v use good day biscuits..or y only Marie..curious to know

        • thanks shubha. marie is one biscuit you can use easily for a base. i told the name as its easily available. generally graham crackers are used, but they are not available everywhere, especially india. so i use cream cracker or marie biscuits. you can even use multigrain biscuits or crackers. even glucose biscuits can be used. and yes you can use good day biscuits.

  8. Thank you for this recipe you are great cook. I have a question, my sheera tends to become sticky or hard as opposed to my mother’s, what am I doing wrong?

    • tejaswi, add more water and roast or fry rava very well. ghee should release from the sides once the rava is done roasting. the proportion for a melt in the mouth smooth sheera would be 1:2 or 1:2.25 for rava and water respectively. you can even use 1:3. this gives a really smooth sheera much like the south indian kesari.

  9. Thank you so much for this beautiful recipe. I did not have any ghee, raisins or cashews but really wanted to make some halwa, so I went ahead with the recipe (used butter) and it turned out so well! I’m Bengali and am not even supposed to like halwa (just kidding). Next time, I’m going to try Stevia instead of sugar. Thanks again!

  10. Hello amitji thanks for the recipe wonderful,but my father always roast the Suji in a karaii till lightly brown,and aroma rises.his ancestors are from Andhra Pradesh. Don’t know why? But taste good also.

  13. Followed the recipe as given except used less ghee but still it turned out to perfection really really tasty. Thanks

  16. Made it…turned out perfect…i ws jst wondering how lucky ur family members are who get to taste ur awesome delicacies… Ur awesome way of preparing dishes is jst unmatchable…have tried so many recipes and none failed and m damn sure none of ur recipes will ever fail…thank u so much…

  17. You are an amazing cook… I have tried many of your recipes and they have turned out absolutely delicious and finger lickingly tasteful… Thanks a lot!!! Keep up the great work

    • for making with jaggery, heat jaggery and water together till the mixture comes to a boil. if the jaggery has impurities, the first heat gently till all the jaggery melts. filter this solution and keep on flame again, till the solution comes to a boil.

  19. Thanks for your wonderful recipes…I wanted to ask whether halwa taste better in water or milk or in combined of both….please help.thank you.

  20. This is exactly how my mom used to make Rawa kesari (South Indian term for sooji halwa).Took me back to those wonderful, simple and happy childhood days. I am going to make this for a festival event on this saturday. Thank you for posting this recipe!

  21. Thank you so much for your great recipes ..I m really grateful to you for ur every recipe …it has helped me to learn cooking with perfection …thanks for ur detail explanation with pictures..

  22. i am very impress of this site,i know many recipes, i thing it’s best site in the world. In this site people learn too many recipes. Any person who loved cooking this side is best for that.

  23. Is it necessary to boil the water and sugar separately.
    what will happen if we add sugar in fried sooji and then add water.

  24. I am learning to cook and this is the first recipe I made on my own. Thank you so much for explaining everything in so much detail. Everyone in the family loved it 🙂

  25. Can I use milk in the above recipe???? The halwa is extremely tasty… Thank you so much…

  32. Awesome recipe…. I like all your recipes. I m learning how to cook. and I think the easiest recipes are here in veg recipes of India. thanks a lot for posting this recipe..

    • the preparation is same, just that it different in the flavors. here i have only added cardamom, but in rava kesari, i add saffron. you can add both. rava kesari has a yellow or orangish color as food colors are added. i prefer to use saffron as a natural coloring agent. though even turmeric (just a pinch) can also be added to give the yellow color. i usually keep the same proportion of sooji/rava, sugar and ghee for both rava kesari and sooji halwa. but mostly rava kesari has more ghee added to it. rava kesari can also be made with milk instead of water and so is sooji halwa.

  39. Hi dassana,
    this is my son’s all time favorite… the color of the halwa is mouth watering …golden… the presentation is so lovable..the light effects so soothing.. i will follow this halwa now onwards instead of what i was making till now… your recipes are just matchless… sooji halwa is an old recipe but you make it like its a delicacy…hats off…keep going