raditional Melt-in-the-Mouth Rava Halwa
Learn how to make an incredibly soft and delicious traditional Rava Halwa using extracted semolina milk, rich jaggery syrup, thick coconut milk, and minimal ghee. This unique method gives the halwa a melt-in-your-mouth texture that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Soak the Semolina: In a bowl, combine 2 cups of unroasted semolina and 3 cups of water. Mix well and let it soak covered for 2 hours until very soft.
- Extract Semolina Milk: Mash the soaked semolina thoroughly with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract all the liquid.
- Second Extraction: Transfer the leftover residue back to a bowl, add 1 cup of water, mash firmly by hand again, and strain to extract the remaining milk. Discard the dry residue.
- Settle the Milk: Let the extracted semolina milk rest for 30 minutes. A clear liquid layer will rise to the top. Carefully pour off and discard this clear liquid without disturbing the settled semolina milk at the bottom.
- Prepare Jaggery Syrup: In a pan, combine 400 grams of jaggery and 1 cup of water to make the jaggery syrup. Strain it to remove impurities and set aside.
- Prepare the Mold: Grease a cake mold or tray lightly with ghee. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and roasted nuts at the bottom for decoration.
- Make Cornflour Slurry: In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water to form a smooth, lump-free slurry.
- Cook the Halwa: In a heavy-bottomed or non-stick pan on low heat, pour the prepared semolina milk and the filtered jaggery syrup. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
- Add Cornflour & Coconut Milk: Pour in the cornflour slurry while stirring continuously on low heat. After about 10 minutes when the mixture changes color, add 1 cup of thick coconut milk.
- Add Ghee Gradually: Continue stirring on low heat. As it thickens (around 20–25 minutes), add 1 tablespoon of ghee to make stirring easier. Add another tablespoon of ghee if it becomes too thick.
- Add Nuts & Cardamom: Once the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan, add the roasted cashews, almonds, and 1 tablespoon of cardamom powder.
- Final Roast: Sauté on low heat for another 5 minutes until the halwa mixture holds together and cleanly leaves the pan.
- Set and Serve: Transfer the hot halwa into the prepared greased mold and level the top using the back of a greased spoon. Allow it to cool completely and set for about 2 hours, then unmold, slice, and serve.
Video
Notes
Semolina Choice: Always use unroasted semolina (rava/sooji) for this recipe to get the right texture after soaking and extracting the milk.
Jaggery Options: You can use dark jaggery if you prefer a darker colored halwa; a lighter jaggery was used in this version.
Coconut Milk: Using thick coconut milk reduces the need for large amounts of ghee while keeping the halwa rich and soft.
Jaggery Options: You can use dark jaggery if you prefer a darker colored halwa; a lighter jaggery was used in this version.
Coconut Milk: Using thick coconut milk reduces the need for large amounts of ghee while keeping the halwa rich and soft.