Suji Halwa (Sheera)
A warm, glossy Maharashtrian stovetop halwa made with roasted semolina, ghee, cardamom, and a whisper of saffron. Ready in about 20 minutes and perfect for festivals, mornings, or whenever you want something sweet and comforting.
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Servings: 10 servings
Equipment
- 1 Heavy-bottomed kadai or pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rava (coarse rava/suji/farina)
- 3/4 +1/8 cup Sugar ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup Ghee
- 1/3 cup Almonds roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup Cashews roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup Raisins
- 3 cups Water
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
- 1 pinch Saffron strands a generous pinch
- 2 tbsp Pistachios chopped, for garnish
- 1/8 tsp Salt a pinch
Instructions
- Before starting, roughly chop the almonds and cashews. Finely chop the pistachios for garnishing.
- In a pan, dry roast the rava over medium-low flame, stirring continuously, for 5–7 minutes. Roast just until you see a slight color change and it starts smelling fragrant — don't go beyond that, or it will overroast and turn bitter. Turn off the flame and transfer the roasted rava to a plate or bowl.1 cup Rava (coarse rava/suji/farina)
- At the same time, in a separate pan, make the sugar syrup: combine the sugar, saffron strands, and salt with the 3 cups of water. Heat over medium-low flame, stirring occasionally, until the sugar fully dissolves and the syrup is hot to the touch — it should not simmer or boil.3/4 +1/8 cup Sugar, 1 pinch Saffron strands, 1/8 tsp Salt , 3 cups Water
- In the same pan used for the rava, add the ghee over medium-low flame. Once hot, add the chopped almonds and cashews and stir for a minute, until they start changing color. Add the raisins and sauté for a few seconds. Add the dry-roasted rava and sauté everything for another minute over medium-low flame.1/4 cup Ghee , 1/3 cup Almonds, 1/3 cup Cashews, 1/4 cup Raisins
- Lower the flame under the sheera pot. Turn off the flame under the sugar syrup and carefully pour the hot syrup into the sheera pot — it will sputter as it hits the roasted rava. Add the cardamom powder and mix everything together well.1 tsp Cardamom powder
- Let it cook uncovered for about a minute, stirring once or twice, until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Cover the pan with a lid, turn the flame to low, and cook for 5 minutes, covered.
- Turn off the flame and let it sit, covered, for 2 minutes. Uncover — the sheera is ready. Garnish with the chopped pistachios and serve warm.2 tbsp Pistachios
Video
Notes
| Roast the rava just until it shows a slight color change and smells fragrant — overroasting makes it taste bitter and dry. The sugar syrup should be hot, not simmering or boiling, when it goes in — this keeps the texture smooth and prevents lumps. Swap almonds, cashews, and raisins for whatever nuts and dried fruit you have on hand. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 4–5 days; reheat gently with a splash of milk or water. |