Soft Rava Sheera Recipe: How to Make Perfect Sooji Halwa
Learn the secret to making the softest, most delicious Rava Sheera (Sooji Halwa) at home! This easy, beginner-friendly recipe is perfect for festivals or a quick dessert.
Ingredients
This recipe uses a "1 bowl" measurement, meaning you can use any size of bowl or cup, as long as you use the same one for the rava, water, and sugar.
- Rava Semolina: 1 bowl (fine rava is preferred)
- Water: 3.5 bowls this is the secret for a soft sheera!
- Sugar: ½ bowl or to your taste
- Ghee Clarified Butter: 3 tablespoons (can be adjusted)
Dry Fruits:
- Handful of Cashews chopped
- Handful of Almonds chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons Raisins
Spices for the water:
- 1 small piece of Cinnamon
- 3 Cloves
- 3 Green Cardamoms lightly crushed
- A tiny pinch of Nutmeg powder
For Flavor & Colour:
- A pinch of Saffron Kesari food colour or a few saffron strands
- 1-2 tablespoons mixed Melon Seeds and Pumpkin Seeds optional
Instructions
Here is the simple, step-by-step method to make the perfect Rava Sheera:
- Prepare the Spiced Water: In a saucepan, combine the 3.5 bowls of water, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, nutmeg, and saffron colour. Place this on the stove to heat up and let it come to a gentle boil.
- Roast the Dry Fruits: Heat the ghee in a separate heavy-bottomed pan (kadhai) on medium heat. Add the chopped cashews and almonds and roast for a minute until they are light golden. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
- Fry the Raisins: In the same ghee, add the raisins. They will puff up very quickly (about 30 seconds). Remove them and set them aside with the nuts.
- Roast the Rava: Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the 1 bowl of rava (semolina) to the remaining ghee in the pan. Roast the rava, stirring continuously, until it turns a light golden brown and you can smell a beautiful nutty aroma. This is the most important step for a flavorful sheera.
- Combine Rava and Water: Turn the heat to low. Very carefully (it will sputter!), Pour the hot, spiced water into the roasted rava. Stir immediately to prevent any lumps from forming.
- First Cook: Cover the pan with a lid and let the rava cook on low heat for 5 minutes. The rava will absorb all the water and become soft.
- Add Sweetness and Nuts: Remove the lid. You will see the rava has cooked beautifully. Now, add the ½ bowl of sugar, the roasted cashews, almonds, raisins, and the optional melon and pumpkin seeds.
- Final Cook (Dum): Mix everything together well. The sugar will melt and make the sheera moist again. Cover the pan and let it cook on the lowest possible heat for another 5-7 minutes. This lets the sugar cook and all the flavours blend.
- Serve: Turn off the heat. Your soft and delicious Rava Sheera is ready! Fluff it with a spoon and serve warm.