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sooji halwa in microwave

Sooji ka halwa is a popular Indian dessert which is usually made in a kadhai (wok) or a pan. Here I would like to share a recipe in which sooji halwa is being cooked in a microwave in easy steps. Try it and let me know if you found it any different from traditional sooji ka halwa in pan.

Recipe of sooji ka halwa in microwave

1 cup sooji (semolina/ rawa/ suji) - roasted

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1/4 tsp green cardamom (elaichi) powder

Nuts like cashew nuts and raisins- to garnish

2 cups milk

1. Take a microwave safe bowl and place sooji and ghee in it. Cook on High for 2 minutes.

2. Add milk, sugar and cardamom powder and mix. Cook covered on micro High for 3 minutes.

3. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve sooji halwa hot.

sooji kheer

Sooji kheer or suji ki kheer is an almost instant dessert. Today after lunch, I was craving something sweet so within no time, I prepared sooji ki kheer and polished it off as quickly. This kheer can also be called as ‘Rava Payasam’. Sooji ki kheer is also good for infants as it is very light to digest.

Recipe of sooji ki kheer

1 liter milk

3/4 cup sooji (rava/ semolina/ suji)

1/2 cup sugar

A big pinch cardamom (elaichi) powder

Few threads of saffron

Chopped and toasted nuts like cashew nuts, raisins etc.

1. Dry roast sooji in a heavy bottomed pan (kadhai) over medium heat till light brown. Soak the saffron threads in 1 tablespoon milk.

2. Bring the milk to boil. Add sooji little by little, constantly stirring with other hand so that no lumps are formed.

3. Cook over high heat till the mixture begins to thicken. Add sugar and cardamom powder and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add saffron and mix well.

4. Garnish with nuts and serve hot or cold.

gajar ki kheer

Gajar ki kheer or carrot kheer is a delicious and healthy dessert. Kheer or payasam is my weakness and this one is a treat for me. It does not take too much time to cook gajar ki kheer.

Recipe of carrot kheer

1 cup grated carrot (gajar)

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 liter milk

4 tsp sugar

Chopped nuts

1. Heat ghee in a pan and fry carrot for 5 minutes.

aloo ka halwa

Aloo ka halwa or potato halwa is an unusual dessert. If you are making it for the first time, you will be surprised that how good it tastes. Potato halwa is also eaten in some fasts. If you roast it really well, it will not give a potato taste but some unique taste. Try it and be ready for surprise!

Recipe of potato halwa

1 cup boiled, peeled and mashed potato

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder

1/4 cup milk

4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Toasted nuts like cashew nuts and raisins

1. Mash the boiled potatoes while still warm. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ wok. Add mashed potato and roast on a low heat.

2. Keep stirring the halwa as it tends to stick to the bottom. Roast for 10-15 minutes.

3. Add milk and sugar. Again keep roasting till sugar dissolves and halwa thickens to desired consistency. Turn off the heat.

4. Add elaichi powder and garnish potato halwa with toasted nuts.

Note- The more you roast the aloo ka halwa, the better it will taste. Take medium sized potatoes for this halwa.

Gond Panjiri

Gond ki panjiri is a popular Indian sweet which people eat during winters. It is given to lactating women. Gond panjiri is believed to improve lactation. Gond which is tree sap is available in Indian stores in packets.

Recipe of gond panjiri

2 cups atta (whole wheat flour)

¼ cup gond (tree sap)

1 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp magaz seeds (melon seeds)

1/4 tsp saunth (dried ginger powder)

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

2 tbsp raisins

2 tbsp almonds- chopped

1/2 cup grated dry coconut

1. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ wok. Fry gond. Grind it in a grinder. Fry one by one, magaz and almonds.  Drain and set aside.

2. Add atta to the ghee and turn the heat to medium. Roast flour till golden brown stirring constantly. Take atta out of the kadhai.

3. Mix all the ingredients together. Your panjiri is ready to be eaten. Store rest in an airtight container.

besan ki barfi

Besan ki barfi or besan burfi is chickpea flour sweet which originated from Punjab. It is a popular dessert which is not only sold on sweet shops but also made in many Indian households. This is my maternal aunt’s (mausi) recipe who makes heavenly besan ki barfi. Enjoy!

Recipe of besan ki barfi

1 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Chopped nuts like almonds, cashew nuts

1. Sieve besan so that there are no lumps. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ heavy bottomed pan. Add besan and roast on a low heat stirring constantly. Roast till besan turns deep golden brown. Keep breaking any lumps if they get formed. Turn off the heat.

2. Add cardamom powder and nuts to besan and mix.

3. Heat water in a pan and add sugar. Cook till sugar dissolves and syrup (chashni) thickens.

4. Add this syrup to roasted besan and mix well.

5. Pour this mixture on a greased tray. Let it cool down. Allow it to set and harden.

6. Cut squares or diamonds. This is now called besan burfi. 

moong dal halwa

Moong dal ka halwa is a Rajasthani sweet, Marwari in particular. Now it is popular everywhere. You can find moong dal halwa in winter in Indian wedding buffets and many parties. It is quite heavy so a small serving usually suffices. It is very delicious and best enjoyed hot in a cold winter night.

Recipe of moong dal halwa

1 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

1 cup sugar

1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 cup water

Chopped and toasted nuts like cashew nuts, raisins and almonds

1. Wash and soak moong dal in hot water for 2 hours. Drain.

2. Grind moong dal to a coarse paste using very little water. Set aside.

3. Heat 1/2 cup water in a pan and add 1 cup sugar to it. Cook till sugar dissolves and you get syrup of 1 thread consistency (ek taar ki chashni). Keep aside.

4. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan/ kadhai. Add moong dal paste. Fry on a low heat till moong dal turn golden brown and aromatic.

5. Add sugar syrup (chashni) to the moong dal and mix well. Cook on a low heat till they blend well. Turn off the heat.

6. Serve hot moong dal ka halwa garnished with chopped and toasted nuts.

Gajar ka halwa

Gajar ka halwa or carrot halwa is one of the most loved and known desserts of India. It’s made best when red, juicy carrots are used but even orange carrots can be used if red ones are not available. The most laborious part of the recipe, that is, grating the carrots can be done using a food processor. It takes a little patience to get the perfect gajar ka halwa but the result is very sweet indeed!

Recipe of gajar ka halwa

1 kg carrots- peeled and grated

1 liter full fat milk

2 tbsp mixed and chopped nuts like almonds, raisins and cashew nuts

1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

3/4 cup sugar

peeled and washed carrots

1. In a deep and heavy bottomed pan (kadhai), bring the milk to boil.

2. Add the grated carrots and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook till all the milk evaporates, stirring occasionally.

3. When all the milk evaporates add sugar and cardamom powder. Cook till sugar melts.

4. Turning the heat to medium, add ghee. Roast the halwa till carrots turn deep red and ghee begins to separate. Turn off the heat and garnish with toasted chopped nuts. Serve gajar halwa hot, cold or warm. It tastes best when served warm.

Meethe chawal

I have come across many recipes of meethe chawal but this is by far the simplest one (my mom’s recipe). This recipe is so simple that even a beginner can try his or her hands at it. I simply love it and make it in a jiffy whenever craving sets in.

Recipe of meethe chawal/ sweet rice

1 cup basmati rice (chawal)

1/2 cup sugar (vary according to taste)

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

2 cups of water

1/4 tsp elaichi (green cardamom) powder

1 1/2 tbsp chopped nuts like cashew nuts, raisins

Few strands of saffron or 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and roast cashews and raisins. Drain and keep aside.

3. If you don’t have saffron to give yellow color to the chawal, roast turmeric powder in ghee for 2 seconds.

4. Add rice, sugar, 2 cups of water, cardamom powder and saffron (if you are using it) to the pressure cooker. Let 1 whistle come. Turn off the heat. Take out on a serving platter and garnish with toasted nuts. Serve meethe chawal warm.

atta ladoo

I have always been a big fan of ladoos especially besan ladoo but ever since I started making atta ladoo, my liking has shifted towards it. This is an easy recipe and result will have you drooling and asking for more.

Recipe of atta ladoo

1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

2 tbsp chopped nuts like almonds and raisins

1 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

1. Put a kadhai (heavy bottomed vessel) on heat and add ghee. When ghee melts, add atta. Turn the heat to medium.

2. Roast the atta stirring constantly till a nice aroma comes out of atta and it gives a roasted appearance. Turn off the heat and take atta out of kadhai.

3. Add chopped nuts, cardamom powder and sugar. Mix well using a big spoon.

4. Let it cool down and when it’s comfortably warm to touch, make ping pong sized balls out of the atta mixture, using your hands. When they cool down completely, store these atta laddus in an airtight container.