Sooji Halwa
Ingredients
- ½ cup sooji (fine semolina / rava)
- 3 tbsp ghee
- ½ cup sugar
- 1.5 cups water
- 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
- 8–10 cashews
- 8–10 raisins
- Pinch of saffron strands (optional)
Steps
- 1
Make the sugar syrup
Combine water, sugar, cardamom, and saffron (if using) in a microwave-safe jug. Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes until sugar dissolves and the liquid is hot. Set aside.
- 2
Toast the rava in ghee
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine rava and ghee. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Stir well. Microwave for another 1.5 minutes. The rava should smell nutty and turn light golden — this is the critical roasting step.
- 3
Fry the nuts
Add cashews and raisins to the rava. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute until nuts are lightly golden.
- 4
Add the syrup
Carefully pour the hot sugar syrup into the rava bowl — it will steam and bubble vigorously. Stir quickly to combine. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes.
- 5
Final cook and rest
Stir well. Microwave on MEDIUM (50% power) for 2 more minutes. The halwa should be pulling away from the bowl sides. Cover and let rest for 3 minutes — it will thicken further.
- 6
Serve
Stir once more and serve warm, garnished with extra cashews and a thread of saffron. It firms up as it cools.
Tips for Best Results
💡 Roasting rava properly is the key step
Under-roasted rava gives a raw, pasty halwa. It should smell distinctly nutty before you add the syrup. Take the full 3.5 minutes for this step.
💡 Hot syrup into hot rava
Both the syrup and the rava should be hot when you combine them. Cold syrup added to hot rava creates lumps.
💡 Halwa thickens as it rests
The microwave halwa will look slightly wet when you first take it out. After 3 minutes resting, it will be perfectly thick. If you cook it until it looks done in the microwave, it will become too dry.
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The Dish Everyone Thinks Needs a Gas Stove
Sooji halwa on a gas stove is a labour of love. You add ghee to a hot pan, toast the rava until fragrant (without burning it), add the sugar syrup while it sputters, and then stir continuously for 10 minutes until it pulls away from the sides. One moment of distraction and it scorches.
In the microwave, you roast the rava in stages, add the liquid separately, and cook in short bursts — checking and stirring briefly between each. The microwave distributes heat evenly and eliminates the scorching risk entirely. The result? Smooth, glossy halwa with the same cardamom fragrance — with a fraction of the effort.
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More Microwave Recipes for Gas-Free Cooking
Sooji halwa is the sweet side of no-gas microwave cooking. Explore dal, khichdi, rajma, and more in our full microwave recipe collection.
