Watch my video on the preparation of Rava Sheera / Sooji ka halwa by clicking on the link of my original youtube channel given below.
Sooji ka halwa is a type of halwa / sweet dish made by roasting semolina in ghee or oil, sweetened with sugar and flavoured by adding dry fruits, Saffron Strands and home made Cardamom powder.
It can be served as a breakfast item, evening snack or as dessert item after lunch or dinner.
It can be offered as Naivedhyam to God.
INGREDIENTS :
(1) 150 grams (1 cup) of Semolina / Rava / Sooji
(2) 125 grams (3/4 cup) of Sugar
(3) Half cup (4 tablespoons) of Clarified butter / Ghee
(4) 8 Cashews (Kaju)
(5) 8 Almonds (Badam)
(6) 2 tablespoons of Raisins (Kishmish)
(7) 4 Cloves / Laung / Lavang
(8) 8 Green Cardamoms / Choti Elaichi
(9) 2 or 3 drops of Lemon Yellow Food Colour
(10) 500 ml of boiled water
PREPARATION:
(1) Soak 8 Almonds in warm water for 30 minutes. Peel the soaked almonds.
(2) Crush the Green Cardamoms with fingers and collect the seeds housed inside each of them. Discard the skin (pods).
With the help of a mortar pestle, crush the cloves and the Green Cardamom seeds into a fine powder.
(3) Put 2-3 drops of Lemon Yellow Food Colour in three tablespoons of water.
I will refer this coloured liquid as food colour in the next step when I use it.
Note :
(1) Use the same cup for measuring Sooji / Rava, Sugar, Ghee and Water.
(2) You may use store bought Cardamom powder if you don’t have cloves and green cardamoms to prepare the homemade Cardamom Cloves powder.
(3) Break the cashews into smaller pieces.
(4) Finely chop the soaked and peeled almonds.
METHOD:
(1) Heat 550 ml of water in a utensil. Once boiled, keep it aside, but we will use only 500 ml later.
(2) Place a wok/kadhai on the gas stove on a low to medium flame.
(3) Now add 4 tablespoons or half cup of ghee.
(4) Add broken cashews to the warm melted ghee and fry it till it is slight golden brown in colour.
Roast well and collect the roasted cashews in a bowl. Keep Cashews aside.
(5) Add 2 tablespoons of raisins and roast for 5 seconds until they plump up.
Once done, collect roasted raisins in a bowl and keep aside.
(6) Add 1 cup rava to the remaining ghee. Mix rava well with ghee.
Roast rava well for 4 minutes, until it is aromatic.
(7) Add 500 ml of boiled water and stir continuously to avoid forming lumps.
The ratio of rava and water is 1:3. For 1 cup of rava, we add 3 cups of water measured using same cups for both.
(8) Cover with a lid and let it cook for approximately 30 seconds.
(9) Open the lid once 30 seconds are over. Stir well so that the rava does not stick to the bottom of the kadhai.
(10) Add three fourth cup of Sugar. Mix well again till the sugar gets dissolved and absorbed by the rava.
Stir well for 30 seconds continuously till the rava is of smooth texture.
(11) Now add lemon yellow food color and combine everything well.
(12) Add roasted cashews and raisins. Keep some for garnishing later.
(13) Add cardamom and cloves powder prepared earlier.
Alternatively, you can add store bought cardamom powder.
Combine everything well once again until a smooth texture of rava is formed.
Our Rava Sheera / Sooji ka halwa is ready.
Turn off the gas flame now.
(14) Transfer the Rava Sheera to the serving bowl.
Garnish with some roasted cashews, raisins and chopped almonds.
(15) The Rava Sheera is ready and served on a serving plate with a banana leaf.
It is offered as Naivedhyam to God.
