Maha Ashtami and Navami hold special significance during the Navratri festival when devotees worship young girls, called Kanya Puja, and honor the goddesses Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. A popular offering for the occasion is semolina (suji) halwa. This year, you can try a new recipe for halwa that uses the same ingredients but brings a fresh twist to its preparation, enhancing its flavor.
Bharat Kitchen has shared this innovative semolina halwa recipe. Bharat Vadhwa, a chef and food content creator known for his engaging cooking style, has over 3 million followers on Instagram. His easy-to-follow recipe offers clear instructions to create this delicious halwa for the festival offerings.
Key Ingredients for the Halwa
The recipe calls for simple yet flavorful ingredients: 1/2 cup semolina, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup desi ghee, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup water. For nuts and flavor, you’ll need 10 cashews, 10 almonds, 10 pistachios, grated coconut, 10 raisins, and some cardamom powder to finish.
Step-by-Step Halwa Preparation
Begin by spreading sugar evenly on a non-stick pan and heating it on high flame. Once it starts melting, reduce the heat and stir continuously until it turns golden but does not burn. Next, add milk to the caramelized sugar and mix well to avoid lumps in the syrup.
In another pan, add a spoon of desi ghee and roast the cashews, almonds, and pistachios over low heat. Remove them and then lightly toast the grated coconut in the same pan with raisins. Afterward, add the remaining ghee and pour in the semolina, cooking it on very low heat while stirring until it turns golden and aromatic.
Once the semolina is roasted, add water gradually, stirring to let it swell properly. Then pour in the milk and sugar syrup, mix thoroughly, and cook for a few minutes. Stir in a spoon of ghee and add the roasted nuts and dry fruits. Finally, turn off the heat and sprinkle cardamom powder. Mix everything well with a ladle.
This preparation yields a semolina halwa that smells wonderful even while cooking. The nutty texture combined with the rich caramel sweetness and aroma of desi ghee makes it a delightful dish, sure to receive many compliments when served during festival times.
Shashi Singh, a Sub Editor at TV9 Digital Hindi, based in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, contributed the original details of this recipe. Shashi holds a graduation degree from Bareilly College under Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University and a PG diploma in Integrated Digital Media from The Arohan Media School. With over three years of journalism experience, Shashi writes on religion, food, health, entertainment, and other topics, and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Techvan School of Mass Communication. Her interests also include reading books and poetry and exploring new subjects.
