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5 from 7 votes
/ November 11, 2016 (last updated October 21, 2020)

Sooji ka Halwa (Semolina Halwa) – 20 minute Recipe!

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Halwa is a famous dessert that is prepared all over the world with various ingredients and in countless forms. This 20-minute recipe is prepared with semolina in the Pakistani and North Indian style.

Sooji ka Halwa in a gold rimmed bowl garnished with sliced almonds.

The History of Halwa

You know how Tolstoy famously said, “there are as many kinds of loves as there are hearts”? Well, I’m going to not-so-famously say “there are as many kinds of halwas as there are countries”.

Apparently, there are few countries in the world in which halwa (or halva, halwah, halveh, helva, halua, and the list goes on) is NOT a traditional dessert. It’s a kind of centuries-old global sweet. The word halwa comes from the Arabic root “helw”, which means “sweet”, and many middle-eastern cultures like to claim it’s their original concoction (hey, I would want to take credit for coming up with like that too). Nonetheless, if a dessert has been carrying on for centuries, it must be pretty good, right? It’s so simple, it’s genius, not to mention easy to prepare.

Sooji ka Halwa in a gold rimmed bowl garnished with sliced almonds.

How to Make Sooji Ka Halwa

I must confess, it took me a couple (okay, several) tries to perfect this Sooji ka Halwa recipe. I’ll go on to embarrass myself by pretty much giving away how I messed up each time; so go ahead, make it and impress everyone with your halwa skills at my expense.

Two gold rimmed bowls with Sooji ka Halwa garnished with sliced almonds.

I present to you the 5 commandments of Halwa-making:

  1. Thou shalt embrace stirring. Seriously, you’re going to be stirring constantly.
  2. Thou shalt thoroughly roast the semolina, without burning it.
  3. Thou shalt boil the sugar and water mixture separately instead of being lazy and throwing it in with the browned semolina.
  4. Thou shalt not attempt to be overly healthy and skimp on the butter.
  5. Thou shalt use fine quality semolina.

If you follow the 5 commandments, you will be treated to a dessert that will feel like heaven on earth (sorry, I had to).

More Pakistani Desserts You’ll Love

The Best Instant Pot Kheer (Restaurant Recipe)
Instant Pot Carrot Halwa (Gajar ka Halwa)
Easy Jaggery Rice in the Rice Cooker – Gur Wale Chawal

Sooji Semolina Halwa

Traditional Sooji ka Halwa (Semolina Halwa)

Izzah Cheema
Halwa is a famous dessert that is prepared all over the world with various ingredients and in countless forms. This 20-minute recipe is prepared with semolina in the Pakistani and North Indian style.
5 from 7 votes
Save Saved! Print Pin
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup butter both salted and unsalted work depending on preference
  • 1 cup fine semolina sooji
  • 2-3 cups water*
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar or cane sugar or to taste
  • 4-5 cardamom pods slightly cracked open
  • 1/2-2 tsp rose water depending on how strong your rose water is
  • pinch saffron optional
  • slivered almonds for garnish** (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter in a non-stick saucepan on medium-low heat and add the semolina.
  • Stir the semolina continuously until it roasts evenly and turns golden in color, about 10-12 minutes. Depending on your stovetop, you may need to raise the heat to medium to help it come to the roasting point. Then lower the heat as needed. Remove from heat once the semolina is well roasted and has turned golden. You can also continue on to the next step while roasting the semolina.
  • In a separate small saucepan, bring the water, sugar and cardamom pods to a boil. Stir, and allow to simmer until the sugar is dissolved, and then remove from heat and add the rose water and saffron.
  • Place the semolina mixture back over medium heat. Stir this sugar syrup carefully into the browned semolina. Continue to stir for a couple of minutes, until the mixture thickens, loses most of its moisture and the butter starts to separate from the semolina. Sometimes I like to add a dollop of ghee at this point to give it a nice finish.
  • Garnish with slivered almonds (or other garnishings) and serve warm.

Notes

* The water will determine the texture. If you want it to be more grainy to be eaten alone, use 2 cups of water. 3 cups will yield a softer and thicker halwa like the one used for ‘halwa poori’.
** You can also add various nuts, raisins, or any other garnishing. Some people add this within the halwa while cooking it (I prefer to keep the halwa center-stage though).
 

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 6gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 209mgPotassium: 112mgFiber: 2gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 709IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 2mg
Keyword semolina halwa, sooji, sooji ka halwa
Did you try this recipe?Please let me know in the comments below. If you’re on Instagram, I’d love for you to tag me so I can see your creations.

Enjoy!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sofia says

    May 20, 2020 at 7:57 am

    Hi,
    Would coarse semolina Also work as well?

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      May 21, 2020 at 10:27 am

      You could certainly use it though the texture may be a bit more coarse. Still tasty though!

      Reply
  2. Ali says

    May 4, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    5 stars
    Made it for the first time following your recipe. Was not disappointed.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      May 4, 2020 at 8:15 pm

      Thank you, Ali!

      Reply
  3. Faisal says

    December 21, 2019 at 10:01 pm

    Best dessert ever, simple yet decadent! I used salted butter which gave it an additional depth.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      December 22, 2019 at 6:54 am

      So glad to hear that, Faisal! Thank you for sharing your review!

      Reply
  4. Nadia Parveen says

    December 1, 2019 at 1:30 pm

    Ma Shaa Allah i just made this .. I would like to congratulate yoi on sharing such a wonderful recipe .. me and my family enjoyed the halwa much .. may God bless you abundantly teacher ji

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      December 1, 2019 at 10:53 pm

      Thanks so much!! I’m very happy you all enjoyed it!

      Reply
  5. Cathy says

    August 11, 2019 at 6:02 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe. Just made it for Eid with channa – delicious

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 12, 2019 at 8:37 am

      So glad to hear that. Thanks for sharing, Cathy!!

      Reply
  6. Esh says

    February 24, 2018 at 10:42 am

    5 stars
    This was my first time making halwa and it turned out delicious! I’m not a big fan of halwa so was making it for the family but I ended up eating a bunch with a spoon after it was done lol. It’s so yummy!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      February 24, 2018 at 10:55 am

      Yayyyy, so glad to hear that!! Thank you, Eshi!

      Reply
      • Moizzah Ahmad says

        May 28, 2019 at 2:35 pm

        5 stars
        I have always wanted to make a good suji ka halwa, and tried many recipes on the internet. Yours is the only one that has worked perfectly!! Thanks you so much!!

        Reply
        • teaforturmeric says

          May 28, 2019 at 8:31 pm

          So glad to hear it! Thank you for leaving your feedback, Moizzah!!

          Reply
  7. geet says

    December 13, 2017 at 12:51 am

    5 stars
    Sooji ka halwa is heaven! Though i know how to make it but will try your way.
    Thank you for sharing

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      December 13, 2017 at 6:14 pm

      Thank you! Let me know if you do!

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Izzah, and I look forward to brightening your day with good food and good vibes. Here you'll find tested & perfected South Asian recipes that are easy-to-follow yet authentic in taste!

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