Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Sheero or Sooji Ka Halwa

This is an all time favourite of mine. Mom makes it all the time in pure ghee and I remember having this at kathas back home that all the gujju ladies made. Mumma always made the sheera darker than the one I used to have at kathas but then I realized why! It tastes sooo much better coz its cooked better! And also, mumma doesnt just use all milk. Okay okay so without much ado, here it is......the age old sheera or sooji ka halwa.

Ingredients:
1 cup rawa/sooji
1 cup ghee
1 cup sugar
1 or 2 cups milk depending on the consistency you want
a few dried grapes ?kishmish?
a few pieces of cashews
or any other dry fruits you would like to add
three or four strands of kesar/saffron (optional)

Method:
1) Take ghee in a pan, warm it up a little and roast the sooji on it till it is slightly brown while stirring consistently!
2) Add the dry fruits, kesar, and roast just for 30 more seconds and add milk to it.
3)Stir the mixture in a circular motion till the sooji has puffed up and seems fuller from the addition of milk.
4) Stir a little more till it has reached the required consistency.
5) Serve hot!

Variations: You can add a little bit of water if you do not want all that milk in it. Also, any kinds of dry fruits or decorations are fair game to suit your taste! The consistency can be varied too!

Note: Make sure you roast the sooji long enough so that it is not undercooked. Also, make sure there are no clumps when you add milk. A good way to avoid it is to constantly keep stirring while slowly adding the milk in parts!

Published in the Desserts, Drinks, and Sweets category.

A Note to Remember: Good cooking is more about using the right ratios than using the right quantities. Each hand its own dish! Eat away!