Speedy Sooji ka Halwa: One Pot Recipe

A one pot sooji ka halwa that is ready in twenty minutes, stays soft, and actually tastes really good thanks to a family secret ingredient!

Want to make the full breakfast spread? Instructions for how to efficiently tackle it are above the recipe card!

Making Sooji Better

Confession: I ADORE a classic Pakistani Nashta but think most suji ka halwas are terribly boring tasting. 9 times out of 10 if I go out for a aloo, cholay, doodh patti, and halwa puri nashta, I am likely to ask them to keep the halwa and just give me extras of the rest. Sooji ka Halwa is an integral part of weekend nashtas (breakfasts) in Pakistan and I was THIS close to writing them off entirely until I had a version in Karachi that blew my mind.

It has taken A LOT of testing and retesting, including a few rounds with recipe testers for me to come up with a recipe that lives up to that one and that I think is

• Actually delicious and not boringly sweet.
• Requires only one pot
• Can be made in under 20 minutes

One Pot Only?

This section is for my fellow food nerds. We all know I think that when you are making Halwa Poori nashta, you need a burner each for your potatoes, chickpeas, and pooris. If you need two to make the halwa that math is not math-ing as they say.

Also, while we are approaching this practically, the sheera or sugar syrup traditionally used isn't thick or cooked down, the sugar is just barely dissolved and the reason for that is that the sugar in Pakistan and India is typically coarser and doesn't dissolve instantly.

The granulated sugar in North America is much finer and would basically dissolve if I stared a little hard at it (ok maybe I exaggerate) so a sugar syrup (and another pot) are not needed at all.

Have I tested this out? Yes, and there was very little difference between the two pot and one pot approach except for the washing up and cooktop required. In fact, the difference there was is that this version had a slightly deeper flavour: what a win.

Ingredients and Flavours

This testing bit was brutal. Not going to lie about that. Many iterations were tested - butter, ghee, regular sugar, sugar in the raw, brown sugar, with spices, without spices, with milk, without milk, and even with saffron. Here is what I learnt:

1.) Butter vs Ghee: while homemade ghee is the superior choice, storebought ghees can really range in flavour, butter was good for consistency. However, if you have a ghee brand you love then have at it.

2.) Oh Sugar: Sugar in the raw and brown sugar had a pleasant flavour, but the brown sugar stayed too gritty. Sugar in the raw worked reasonably well, but took a little longer to melt. No big deal IMHO so if you have to handy go for it. A tester tried the recipe with coconut sugar too and enjoyed it.

3.) You saw the cloves and your eyes popped out of your head? I get it. My recipe testers were also very surprised to see that addition, but thankfully trusted me, and we are happy to report that like in the Sevaiyan, while the cloves add an interesting the flavour they do the job here too and decidedly do not make you halwa taste like salan. Pinky swear.

In the spirit of honesty this flavor addition wasn't my own genius but a wonderful aunts trick for delicious halwa.

Psssst if you are wondering what kind of semolina you should be buying it's the fine kind! Also, just in case you are wondering, cornmeal and semolina are categorically not the same. One is made from ... *drumroll*...corn and the other durum wheat!

Cooking Tips: Just the one

Roast low and slow. That's it. Don't burn your sooji or your sugar ok? A few minutes of patience goes far here in developing that rich flavour. If it's your first time making sooji ka halwa then I suggest you stay put so you can see (and smell!) the change.

Making a Pakistani Nashta: The right order

If you are making the classic combo of halwa, cholay, aloo, and poori then here is the right order:-

1.) make the masala mix for aloo and cholay (it's the same), then halve it so you don't accidentally use all in one dish.

2.) Slice the onions

3.) Start the poori aloo and poori chole and once both are simmering move on to the halwa.

4.) Start making the halwa

5.) After your water is added, add the teabag to the poori chana and the achar (if needed) to the nashta aloo.

6.) all three should be ready at the same time and now you make your doodh patti and chai.

Made this halwa? Would love to hear what you think below!

Notes:

• this makes a smaller serving of halwa than most recipes, but it is easy enough to scale up
• My testers and I preferred the halwa at 4 tbsp of sugar because it kept the flavor profile interesting, but you are welcome to adjust to taste.
• the cloves are an unusual addition but it is a bit of a family secret that adds great depth of flavour - I typically remove them before serving! if they make you nervous you can take them out once the butter/ghee is infused.
• the kind of pot/heat level you use will make a huge difference to any halwa. When I use my cast iron wok I keep the heat lower and even then it all cooks fast
• If you are making the halwa ahead of time it will thicken as it cools and the cardamom powder flavour will become more mild - both are easy enough fixes!
• I've made this at least ten times and I find that sea salt just adds a lovely note but table salt works too!