This utterly delicious Mango Kesari Halwa made by slowly sauteing Suji (semolina or rava) in Desi Ghee and adding freshly grated mango, is a simple yet elegant recipe of Indian desserts. While I had made Suji Plain Halwa on several occasions especially on Navmi Puja at home, this is the first time I made a gentle twist to this halwa recipe by adding fresh mangoes. The summer fruit adds the much needed sweet and tartness to this halwa. Team this Mango Halwa with Poori, paratha or have it as is.
Why Would You Love This Recipe?
Tried and tested Recipe over years Traditional Indian Dessert Simple and Quick recipe Easily available Ingredients. Scalable and customizable recipe. The Best Mango Kesari Halwa Recipe Ever!
Ingredients
Mango- Mango adds natural sugar and mild tart flavor to Suji Halwa. For best results, use sweet mango variety like Banganapalli (Safeda) or Dasheri (Mangifera indica). [1] Suji- is the prime ingredient of this recipe. Suji or semolina is coarse form of durum wheat. The same recipe can be made using chickpea flour or gram flour to make it gluten free. I prefer using finely grounded suji, though thick textured suji works well too. I have used a local brand of Suji. Feel free to use any local good quality brand. Desi Ghee- is the star ingredient of any halwa recipe. In India, Halwa or sweets are always liked the most when made in desi ghee. You may use swap it with any vegan oil form making it vegan but for best results, I recommend using Desi Ghee. I have used Mother Dairy Cow’s Ghee. You may use the good quality local brand. Cardamom- Adding cardamom to Halwa adds perfect aromatic warm flavor to it. We never add cinnamon flavor to any halwa dish as cinnamon dominates the flavor. Saffron- sprinkling the soft and colorful yellow-orange saffron strands not only add vibrant color to this halwa but adds kesari flavor too. Sugar and Water- I recommend using sugar syrup for having the right consistency of sugar mixed in halwa by boiling sugar in water till it dissolves.
Variations
Add another flour- You may make Wheat Halwa (Atta ka halwa) or gram flour using the same recipe. Add another fruit- Though I haven’t tried yet, I guess banana and orange can be swapped with mango while making halwa, especially for kids.
Storage Suggestions
We hardly have any leftovers of any halwa. If you have any, store it in dry container with lid in a refrigerator. It would be good for about 1-2 days. For serving again, keep it on kitchen top and reheat in microwave for about 5 min or heat in heavy bottomed wok on slow flame for about 3-4 min.
Expert Tips
The secret to perfect textured Halwa is sauteing Suji in desi ghee on slow flame. It’s a bit long process but that’s the way to deliciousness. Always make a sugar syrup by boiling water with sugar. Never add raw sugar and then water in sauteed suji. That’s not the right way to make it as the sugar might not dissolve properly and make the halwa crunchy. Sieve sugar syrup before adding it to the wok (Kadai) to avoid adding any impurity in halwa. The wok is sizzling hot. So be careful when you pour the sugar syrup as the suji will splutter. You have to keep sauteing so that lumps are not made. The trick is to use a long handled spatula. Add syrup little by little and keep mixing it.
Detailed Recipe With Steps
Step 1 Gather and Roast Suji in Ghee
Gather all the ingredients. In a heavy bottomed wok (kadai), add ghee along with suji. Keep roasting on a slow flame. While the suji is being roasted, you may peel mango and grate it to have a fresh mango pulp. Also, take a pan and add water, sugar, cardamom and saffron to it.
Step 2 Sauteing Suji
Sauteing suji is a bit long process, but rewarding at the end. Suji is white when raw. After roasting it in ghee, it would gradually become light brown and dark brown. I roast it till its dark brown and ghee starts floating over it. (see middle image below). Add mango pulp.
Step 3. Add Sugar Syrup
Slowly add sugar syrup and keep sauteing till the suji becomes one large uniform lump.
Step 4. Garnish and Serve
Garnish the delicious Mango Suji halwa with cardomom seeds and Kesar (saffron) and serve hot. You may also like -
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