Brij Suji Halwa
Veg
Coarse semolina (suji) roasted in generous ghee until golden and fragrant, then cooked with boiling water, sugar, cardamom, and cashews into a soft, molten halwa — the most universally offered temple prasad in North India and the defining sacred sweet of the Brij and Vaishnav traditions.
Cuisines
Rajasthani
Malwi
Haryanvi
Awadhi
Banarasi
Mughlai
Delhi
Brij
Best for
Breakfast
Lunch
Recipe
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 35 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | suji (semolina) |
| 1/2 cup | ghee |
| 1 cup | sugar |
| 3 cups | water |
| 1/4 teaspoon | cardamom powder |
| 2 tablespoons | cashew nuts |
| 2 tablespoons | almonds |
| 2 tablespoons | raisins |
| — | saffron strands (optional) |
Instructions
- 1 Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
- 2 Add cashew nuts and almonds, and fry until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- 3 In the same ghee, add suji and roast on low flame until it turns golden and aromatic.
- 4 Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
- 5 Once the suji is roasted, slowly add the boiling sugar water to the pan, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
- 6 Add cardamom powder and saffron strands, if using, and mix well.
- 7 Cook the mixture on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the ghee starts to separate from the halwa.
- 8 Add the fried nuts and raisins, reserving a few for garnish, and mix well.
- 9 Turn off the heat and let the halwa sit for a few minutes to set.
- 10 Garnish with reserved nuts and serve warm.
Tips
For a richer flavor, you can add a few strands of saffron soaked in warm milk.