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.