Sooji Halva with Chai for the holidays

semolina pudding + amateur video + happy holidays

Wishing you all Happy Holidays & Happy New Year 2024! I close this year’s posts with a cozy dessert combination that will surely warm you this winter. Let’s connect again in a few weeks after you and I both have savored good times and good food with loved ones.

I have a salt tooth rather than a sweet tooth. I prefer to end meals with something savory. I do like dessert and sweet things sometimes but after eating that sweet something, I reach back out for something salty. In some cases this sweet and salty back and forth can continue towards ridiculousness and eating too much.

Despite not craving desserts too much, I have still had a journey with them.

My go to desserts change all the time. For years it was the Indian Gulab Jamun, a sweet fried doughnut-like balls dripping in sugar syrup. Then my obsession with the Italian tiramisu happened until I had my first authentic tiramisu in Italy. I went through a brief chocolate cake phase. Then I fell in love with the Mexican tres leches cake at a a birthday party. For the first time I learned how to make a cake from scratch but eventually I couldn’t handle the sweetness. Somehow the Indian halva has stood the test of time.

Halva is a pudding made with ground grain cooked in a fat and seasoned with sugar, sometimes also includes dry fruits and nuts. This handful of ingredients, combined with the proper technique, yield a delicious dessert to be enjoyed with a hot cup of tea. A childhood memory over halva formed when visiting the Sikh church, gurudwara, every Sunday. After the prayers, the priests would hand out a warm dollop of atta halva (whole wheat) directly into my palms that I gobbled up. In essence, halva meant a blessing.

I probably eat this now 2-3 times a year, either at the local church or when my husband has an inkling to make it. Sooji halva is probably the only thing he enjoys making, for reasons unknown to me. Perhaps it reminds him of his childhood.

On his latest stint in the kitchen, I filmed the process and realized I’m a hopeless amateur at shooting and editing video content.

Generally equal proportions of grain, fat, and sugar are used, with 2-2.5x water.

• The grain of choice in our household is Sooji or Semolina, a coarsely milled durum wheat. However, other kinds of grain or nut flours can be used too.

• Halva can be sweetened with white sugar or brown sugar or jaggery or honey or any other sweetener of your choice.

• The amount of water can be adjusted depending on whether you like a more liquid or solid consistency. When cooled the halva becomes more solid so learning the amount of water you prefer will be trial and error.

• Goodies such as nuts, raisins, dried coconut, etc. can be included for added texture and flavor.

My husband likes to modify the ratios slight to make a healthier, less sweet version. He uses 1/2 cup of semolina, 1/3 cup ghee (clarified butter), 1/3 cup sugar (white + jaggery), chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews), and 1.5 cups water.

The cooking process is shown in my amateur video above. First, the semolina is roasted in ghee over low heat. This is a crucial step. The semolina has to be roasted really well and slowly with constant stirring until it turns brown. This can take anywhere from 10-20 mins; it cannot be rushed or the semolina will burn. Once it turns completely reddish brown, it’s ready for the hot water. The water must be hot, not cold or room temperature, otherwise the texture will not be appealing. As the hot water is added to the really hot ghee roasted semolina, there is quite a bit of violence and commotion in the pot. It’s best to have a lid between you and the pot for self defense. Stir continuously throughout until the water is combined properly, ~3-5 mins. Add the sugar and the nuts and stir to combine another ~2-3 mins. Let it rest so it doesn’t burn your mouth before diving in.

We like to eat this immediately. We prefer the softer texture rather than a more solid texture it acquires over time. I paired this with a cup of chai that is a beautiful marriage of black tea, fennel, cloves, cardamom, and steamed milk. The halva is soft, decadent, fatty, sweet, and textured at the same time. The sip of chai in between each bite warms and cleanses the palate for the next bite. A perfect dessert combination for the holidays that I hope you will give a chance.

Dish Debrief

• Is this my winner or disaster? win

• How would I rate this dish out of 10? 7/10

• What would I change next time? use even less sugar

• Would I make this again? not me, but my husband probably