Divine Semolina Dessert - Suji Halva
"This is a recipe from Kurma Das, the world best vegetarian cook. I can vouch for this dessert, it is TO DIE FOR.
To many aficionados of Hare Krishna cooking worldwide, halava rates on top
of the list of their favourite dishes. It's hot, buttery, sweet, flavoursome
and completely satisfying, especially on a cold winter's day. In this
recipe, the humble semolina teams up with the world's two most expensive
spices - saffron and cardamom. Enriched with sultanas and flaked almonds,
serve fluffy, plump grained halava hot with cream, custard, or as is for an
epicurian experience."
- Ready In:
- 35mins
- Serves:
- Units:
Nutrition Information
15
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ingredients
- 2 3⁄4 cups water
- 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon saffron strand, soaked in 1 tablespoon boiling hot milk
- 140 g unsalted butter
- 1 1⁄4 cups semolina (coarse grained)
- 1⁄3 cup sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1⁄3 cup sultana
directions
- Combine the water, sugar and the soaked saffron in a 2-litre/quart saucepan. Place over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- Melt the butter in a 2- or 3-litre/quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add the semolina, and slowly and rhythmically stir-fry the grains for about 20 minutes, or until they darken to a tan colour and become aromatic.
- Add the flaked almonds to the grains towards the end of the toasting process.
- Raise the heat under the syrup, add the cardamom and the sultanas, and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Raise the heat under the semolina for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Remove the saucepan of semolina from the heat, and slowly pour the hot syrup into the semolina, stirring steadily.
- The grains may at first splutter, but will quickly cease as the liquid is absorbed.
- Return the halava to the stove and stir steadily over very low heat until the grains fully absorb the liquid, start to form into a pudding-like consistency, and pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan and cook over the lowest possible heat for 5 minutes.
- A heat-diffuser works well. Removed the covered saucepan from the heat and allow the halava to steam for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve hot.
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Lovely. I used brown sugar and half the amount and it just right. Made it plain for my kids who avoid nuts and raisons. They loved it. You can use ghee and press it to make bars and add all sorts of goodies like sunflower seeds, walnuts etc etc to make nutrition bars
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Always used to buy this when the Hare Krishna's did a cheap meal every Thursday at university. This recipe brought back so many memories! I didn't have any almonds or sultanas, so used chopped peanuts and currants instead. Realized I didn't have ground cardamon half way through so used cardamon seeds. Lovely pops of flavor all the way through. Yum!
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I've made almost the same recipe as this, but with milk instead of water. It is the more traditional way of making it in India. -
Although I liked the touch of cardamom, I found this pudding to be much too sweet. I can't seem to find the old Hare Krishna recipe I used to use.
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