Prasādam recipe
Semolina halavā
Anyone who has been to a Sunday programme remembers halavā: warm, golden and smelling of toasted butter. It has only one delicate point, which is toasting the semolina patiently over a low heat. The flavour depends on it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wheat semolina
- 110 g butter or ½ cup ghī
- 2½ cups water (or half water, half milk)
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- A handful of chopped almonds or walnuts (optional)
Method
- Bring the water to the boil with the sugar, raisins and cardamom. When the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat right down and keep it hot.
- In another pan melt the butter over a medium-low heat. Add the semolina and toast it, stirring constantly, for 10 to 12 minutes, until it turns golden and smells nutty. If using almonds or walnuts, add them halfway through.
- Take the pan off the heat for a moment and pour in the hot syrup little by little and carefully, because it spatters. Stir vigorously so no lumps form.
- Return to the lowest heat, cover and let the semolina absorb the liquid, 3 or 4 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, leave covered for five minutes and fluff with a fork.
Serve warm. It also works with grated carrot, pineapple or apple added to the syrup.
Before eating
In Vaishnava cooking you don’t taste the food while cooking: Krishna is the first to taste it. Serve a portion on a plate kept for Him, offer it and then share it. The steps are in How to offer it at home and the prayers in Mantras and prayers.