Suji ka Halwa

Ingredients

• 1 cup fine semolina (suji)
• ½ cup ghee
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 tbsp almonds, blanched and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 1 pinch saffron strands or a few drops of kewra water (optional)
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Put the water, sugar, crushed cardamom and saffron, if using, in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves, then keep the syrup hot on the lowest heat.
2. Melt the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Add the almonds and fry for 1 minute until pale golden, then lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside with the pistachios.
3. Add the semolina and a pinch of salt to the ghee. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until it turns light golden, smells nutty and looks sandy and loose.
4. Add the raisins, then pour in the hot syrup slowly, standing back as it will spit and steam. Stir quickly to avoid lumps.
5. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the semolina absorbs the liquid and the halwa thickens and leaves the sides of the pan, about 3–4 minutes.
6. Cover the pan and cook on the lowest heat for 2 minutes so the grains swell. The halwa is ready when it is soft and glossy, and a little ghee shows at the edges.
7. Fold in half of the nuts. Serve hot, topped with the remaining almonds and pistachios.

Tips

• Roast the semolina slowly and keep stirring. Pale, nutty grains give the best flavour, and dark brown ones taste bitter.
• Add the syrup hot, not cold, so the semolina cooks evenly without clumping.
• For a looser halwa, add 2–3 tablespoons of hot water at the end. For a firmer one, cook uncovered for another minute.
• Do not cut the ghee too much, as it gives the halwa its gloss and keeps the grains separate.