Halwa puri breakfast · 20 minutes
Sooji ka Halwa Recipe (Semolina Halwa)
Roast golden. Hot syrup. Stir fast.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenSooji ka halwa is semolina roasted in ghee and cooked in a cardamom syrup, the sweet half of halwa puri. It fails when the sooji is under-roasted and pale, or lumps form when the syrup goes in. The fix is roasting until golden and nutty, and pouring hot syrup slowly while stirring fast.
The 3 laws of sooji ka halwa
Why this recipe works
Pale sooji
Roasting gives the nutty flavour.
Cold liquid
Hot syrup stops lumps.
Guessing
1 cup sooji to 3 cups liquid.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Halwa
The NineFoods sooji gauge
Is the sooji roasted?
Look at the colour and smell.
Method · 4 stages
Step by step
Syrup
- Boil water, sugar, colour and cardamom.
- Keep it hot.
Roast sooji
- Roast sooji in ghee, stirring constantly.
- Use the gauge above.
Add syrup
- Pour hot syrup slowly, stirring fast.
- Cook until it thickens and leaves the sides.
Dum
- Add nuts, cover and rest.
- Fluff with a spoon.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Syrup added cold or too fast.
Fix next time
Use hot syrup and stir fast.
Why
Under-roasted.
Fix next time
Roast until golden and nutty.
Why
Too little liquid.
Fix next time
Stir in hot water, 2 tbsp at a time.
Why
Too much ghee.
Fix next time
Use 0.5 cup ghee per cup of sooji.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Sooji | Base | Coarse semolina, add 0.5 cup more water |
| Ghee | Flavour | Butter |
| Sugar | Sweetness | Jaggery |
| Water | Liquid | Milk for a richer halwa |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Puri and chana for a halwa puri breakfast.
Store
Fridge 4 days.
Reheat
Warm with 1 tbsp water or milk.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 4 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the sooji roasted) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Sooji ka Halwa FAQ
What is the sooji to water ratio?
1 cup sooji to 3 cups water for a soft halwa.
Why is my halwa lumpy?
The syrup was cold or added too fast.
Can I use milk instead of water?
Yes, it makes a richer halwa.
How long to roast sooji?
About 8 minutes on low until golden and nutty.