Roasted semolina pudding with pineapple, cardamons, saffron and cashew nuts.
One of my favourite home made traditional Indian desserts, is sooji ka halwa or more fancily put, semolina pudding. Flavoured with cardamons, saffron, raisins, almonds, cashew nuts or pine nuts, I always end up making it for any festive occasion in our home. That is because it is so simple to make and delicious to taste. If you are in the mood for being extra creative and versatile with this humble pudding, so be it. Add some fruit or play around with the nuts, a dash of some Fall flavourings like cinnamon and nutmeg, follow any way your heart and stomach desire 😊
I have included a couple of halwa recipes in my blog in the past. Here is another variation, a tropical kind of one, simply because it has pineapple. I have tasted pineapple halwa many times, especially when I visit my hometown Mumbai in India. I love the pineapple bits in it, imparts a nice texture and taste.
Simple, quick to make and a delectable sweet treat, to satisfy any palate, any time of day and year!
Servings 4-6
Ingredients
Semolina – 1 cup. I prefer using semolina available in Indian stores, the Indian variety also called rava or sooji.
Sugar- 1 cup
Water – 4 cups
Fresh pineapple, cut in small cubes – 2 cups. One can also use canned pineapple
5 green cardamom pods. Remove skins and crush the seeds with a mortar/pestle
A small pinch of saffron
A handful of unsalted, raw cashew nut pieces
Ghee – 1 tbsp.
To make the sugar syrup – In a saucepan, add the water and sugar. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Add the pineapple. Simmer on low for 5 minutes. Add the cardamom and saffron. Set aside to cool.
In a deep, thick bottomed pan, add ghee, on medium low heat. Add the semolina and cashew nuts and sauté on low heat for 8-10 minutes. It should turn a light golden brown. Keep stirring at intervals, so it does not burn.
Add the sugar syrup carefully, so it does not splutter.
Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat on low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. The semolina will fluff up. Remove the cover, stir for a minute. Remove from heat and serve warm.
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