Indian style Sooji (Semolina) halwa with a twist! Flavored with Pineapple, perfect for any occasion
Sooji halwa is a very common Indian desserts made in most homes, although there are a few variations. Its a soft fluffy halwa flavored with saffron and topped with nuts. Sooji is Semolina, which is a course ground of the wheat grain. Sooji is used to make many dishes, sweet and savory in Indian and middle eastern cuisines. Halwa is a generic term for a type of dessert, it can be made from many ingredients such as fruits and vegetables as well as different flours.
In this case, Sooji or semolina is used to make a sweet halwa, with a pineapple twist. Soft fluffy sooji halwa, bits of pineapple, fragrance of elaichi and saffron, crunch of nuts and richness of ghee. This is the most basic halwa you can learn to make, now with a twist!
In all happy occasions, sooji halwa is always present. Whether its a birthday or a wedding, this is a common menu item. Because its made of wheat it is very filling and can be very healthy. In some parts of India, children are given a bowl of sooji with milk for breakfast just like cereal. Some add orange food color to give it a deeper shades of yellow, others omit the color and leave a natural beige color. Saffron will give it a lighter yellow color.
Sooji is very simple to make and can be ready in 15 mins or less. With just a few ingredients, you can whip this up for dinner tonight. In this variation, the basic sooji halwa has a twist with a pineapple flavor.
Makes 4-6 servings
Time: 15 mins to cook
Level of difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Sooji (course if available)
- 4 tbsp ghee or 1/2 stick butter (I do not recommend using oil)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/4 cup sugar, adjust depending on tartness of pineapple
- 1/8 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
- Pinch of Saffron
- Pinch of orange color (optional)
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple (you can blend fresh pineapple to a chunky stage or use crushed pineapple can)
- 1 tbsp golden raisins
- 3 tbsp Chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews are most commonly used). You can use just one of these or mix them up. Due to allergies, nuts can be omitted.
Method:
- In a nonstick pot on medium heat, add butter, raisins, 1/2 of the nuts and Sooji. Stir fry for 5 mins till the Sooji is light brown in color and smells toasty. Do not leave the stove at this stage as it goes from light brown to burn very quickly.
- Lower heat to Medium Low. Add milk, sugar, cardamom, saffron and orange color. Stir and cook for 8 mins. Stir occasionally in between so it does not stick. All the liquid should be absorbed into the Sooji making it soft and fluffy.
- Once all the liquid is absorbed, add the pineapple and cook for another 5 mins. Stir occasionally. The ghee should be separating and the halwa should be separating from the sides of the pot.
- Turn off heat. Garnish the top with nuts
- Serve hot or warm and Enjoy!
Tips:
- Stays great in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. A great make ahead option for larger gatherings. Over time, it may start to dry out, just add a few spoons of milk when you reheat it to soften up.
- Did you know, you can freeze Sooji halwa? Yes, Indeed! Make double, freeze and just thaw and reheat when you have a craving!
- If you omit adding the pineapple (step 3), the basic Sooji halwa is ready! Pineapple is just an added twist for the basic recipe. Do not add pineapple and milk at the same time, the acid in the pineapple will curdle the milk. Be sure to add in different steps once the milk is fully absorbed.
- Check out other such simple basic recipes in the Sweets section
Lovely. Its great to add flavored sooji halwa. Can we add pineapple flavor essence in place of crushed pineapple.
Hello Ruchi, thank you for your question. Yes you can certainly use flavor essence, it will give you the flavor but not the texture. The crushed pineapple also adds some texture with small pieces of pineapple as you eat the halwa. if you have fresh pineapple, you can grind them up coarsely and use them, if not available then I guess you can use the essence by itself to get the flavor.