Sooji Halwa Halva (Farina cake) Recipe

Made with Farina milk sugar almonds cashews raisins cardamom saffron

What is Halwa (Halva)?

Ingredients

Sweet Slurry

1. Water: 1½ Cup

2. Milk: 1 Cup 
3. Sugar: 1¼ Cup 
4. Cardamom seeds: ½ teaspoon 
5. Saffron: 6 strands

Cooking Halwa

6. Sooji (Farina): 1 Cup 
7. Ghee: ¾ Cup 
8. Sliced Almonds: ¼ Cup 
9. Split Cashews: ¼ Cup 
10. Raisins: ¼ Cup

Method

Prepare sweet slurry

1. Mix water, milk, sugar, cardamom seeds. Bring to a boil. Add saffron. Shut off heat. Cover. Set aside for about 10 minutes to let aromas infuse.

Cooking Halwa

2. In a heavy bottom pan add Ghee and Sooji. Mix well. 
3. Turn on heat at low to cook Sooji. It will start bubbling, and the Sooji will start turning color. Add Almond and Cashew. This will help roasting nuts slightly. Don't fry. A good Halwa is not dark brown, instead it is light golden brown. 
4. Add sweet slurry. Mix. Cook at medium heat till almost all the water is absorbed. Now add the raisins. 
5. Cook till all the slurry is absorbed. It would be a lump and the Ghee starts to exude. Shut off heat.

Yogi's Notes

1. You may reduce Ghee to ½ cup, and Sugar to 1 cup with no significant difference. 
2. For slurry, you may use water only. The purpose of milk is to accentuate saffron color.