My family has major sweet tooth and I am always looking for new sweet treats to make for them. Luckily the kids have started to enjoy them too. So, I make gajar halwa and rava kesari quite frequently. Today I have carrot sooji halwa which is a yummy combo of gajar and suji halwa. This is my take on popular North Indian shahi halwa recipe. My version is made with carrots along with semolina. This sooji halwa is quick and simple to make. But it looks like it took a long time to make. Try this rich sooji halwa recipe and I am sure you will love it.
Sooji - I love using the fine variety of suji in this recipe. But if you only have the coarser variety, then go ahead and use it.Carrot - I use the regular carrots because that is all I get here in the US. But if you can get your hands on ‘gajar’ or the bright red winter carrots, then use them.Ghee - is a quintessential ingredient for most Indian desserts. So, try to get good quality store bought ghee or may it yourself.Sugar - I use regular white sugar.Dry fruit - I used cashews, almonds and raisins. Feel free to use walnuts, pistachios, melon seeds etc.Milk - I use 2%, but feel free to use whole milk. Ground cardamom
Instructions
Here is how to make this easy and delicious carrot suji halwa recipe: Melt 1 tablespoon ghee in a medium size pan on medium heat. Add cashews, almonds & raisins and cook till the nuts are golden and raisins plump up. Using a slotted spoon, remove the dry fruit into a small bowl. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon ghee and sooji. Cook till sooji changes color and smells fragrant, about 3~5 minutes. Remove in to a small bowl and set aside. In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee and add the grated carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it is slightly soft and does not smell raw anymore, about 6~8 minutes. Add the milk and mix well. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the fried sooji and mix well to make sure that there are no lumps. Cook for 2~3 minutes. Next add sugar and mix well. Cook on low flame until halwa slightly thickens, about 5-7 minutes. Finally add ground cardamom and fried dry fruit. Mix well and serve hot, cold or at room temperature.
Notes
I prefer to use fine sooji in this recipe. But feel free to use coarser variety if that is what you have on hand. Adjust the amount of milk in the recipe accordingly.If you can get your hands on some bright red winter ‘gajar’, then use them here. They impart tons of flavor and beautiful color to the dish.You can make this carrot sooji halwa vegan. Use vegan butter and plant based milk in the recipe. I love almond or oat milk because they are thick and rich.This suji aur gakar ka halwa is great to serve hot, at room temperature or chilled. Leftovers can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.You can add more ghee (3~4 tablespoons more) to make this even more rich and decadent.I use all milk, but you can use 50:50 milk and water to make it less rich.
Few more sooji/ semolina based recipes to try
Pizza dough with semolinaSooji laddooLebanese NamouraInstant handvoMoroccan HarchaSemolina whole wheat breadPesarattu Upma
I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don’t forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.
