Sooji Halwa

As kids, we loved this sweet! Mom used to make quite often, for our evening tiffin. Now, I make it for my toddler son.

Ingredients

Sooji (Crema of wheat) - 1 cup, fine

Ghee - 4 tbsp

Cashews, Raisins - 2 tbsp

Milk - 3 cups

Sugar - 2 cups

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Method

1. Add 1 tbsp ghee in a wide skillet, roast cashews and raisins for a couple of minutes, remove and set aside.
2. 
   Add 1 tbsp ghee to the skillet, roast sooji until it turns into pale brown. Remove and set aside.

Boil 3 cups milk in a saucepan, add cashews and raisins. Lower heat and slowly add roasted sooji while stirring.

Add sugar, cardamom powder and 2 tbsp ghee. Mix well.

Turn the heat off when sooji soaks up all the liquid.

Adjust sugar and ghee as per your preference.

Sooji Halwa gets done in no time! Now, wasn't that easy?

Chakra Pongali (Rice Pudding)

A lip-smacking delicacy, for those special occasions!

 

 

Recipe

Rice - 2 cups (wash and drain)

Moong dal - ½ cup (wash and soak in water for 20 minutes)

4 cups water to cook rice and moong dal

Fresh grated coconut - ¾ cup (lightly roast, until pale golden)

Cashew nuts - ¼ cup, halved
Cardamom (elaichi) powder - 1 tsp

Sugar and grated jaggery - to taste (I normally do 3 parts sugar and 1 part jaggery)

4 cups milk (whole milk or 2%)

3 tbsp ghee (adjust as per your preference)

Method

1. Cook rice and moong dal together until soft
2. Toast cashews in 1 tbsp ghee, remove and set aside
3. In a thick bottomed saucepan, heat milk
4. Add cooked rice and dal to the milk, add cashews, sugar, elaichi powder and let cook for 10-15 minutes, on medium heat (do not cover the Pan). Keep stirring in between
5. Add roasted coconut, remaining ghee and simmer until all the liquid evaporates. Stir in between
6. Remove from heat. Add grated jaggery, mix well
7. Serve warm

Tip: If you love jaggery, you can add all jaggery and no sugar.
      Jaggery should be added after you turn the heat off/remove from heat.