20-Minute Vegan Sooji Halwa for Ashtami Prasad with Cardamom, Cashews and Raisins
Vegan sooji halwa for Navratri Ashtami prasad: semolina roasted in coconut oil, simmered in saffron almond milk, finished with cardamom, cashews and raisins.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Rest
- 2 min
- Serves
- 6
20-Minute Vegan Sooji Halwa for Ashtami Prasad with Cardamom, Cashews and Raisins is a vegan dessert recipe made with unsweetened almond milk, water, granulated sugar. It takes 23 minutes of hands-on time, plus 2 minutes resting, serves 6, and each serving has 390 calories, 4 g of protein and 1 g of fiber.
This version swaps the ghee and dairy milk in classic sooji halwa for refined coconut oil and almond milk, so it can be offered as prasad and shared with everyone at the table. Most of the flavor comes from roasting the semolina slowly until it smells nutty and turns light golden; rushing that step gives a pasty, raw-tasting halwa. Heating the almond milk, water and sugar together before they go in lets the semolina absorb the liquid evenly, without lumps.
A base ingredient + occasion (quick 20-minute roasted semolina sooji halwa for Navratri Ashtami prasad, made vegan with coconut oil and almond milk, instead of slow-cooked grated pumpkin or carrot) take on our Kaddu Ka Halwa (Pumpkin Halwa) with Ghee, Cardamom and Cashews.
Ingredients
- 1 cup240 gunsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups474 gwater
- ¾ cup150 ggranulated sugar
- 1 pinch0.1 gsaffron threads
- ½ cup109 grefined coconut oil, refined has no coconut flavor; use unrefined if you like the taste
- 2 tbsp17 gcashews, halved
- 2 tbsp18 graisins
- 1 cup167 gfine semolina (sooji/rava)
- ½ tsp1 gground cardamom
- 1 tbsp7.7 gpistachios, slivered, for garnish (optional)
Kit: heavy-bottomed kadai or wide saucepan, small saucepan, heatproof spatula or wooden spoon
Tips
- Use fine semolina (sooji or bombay rava). Coarse semolina needs about 1/2 cup more liquid and a few extra minutes.
- The 1:3 semolina-to-liquid ratio gives a soft, spoonable prasad halwa. For a firmer halwa you can cut into squares, use 2 1/2 cups liquid.
- The halwa firms as it cools. Loosen it with a splash of hot water or almond milk if needed.
Swap ideas
- Oat milk or extra water instead of almond milk
- Oat milk gives a slightly creamier, nut-free halwa. All water makes it lighter and more like traditional temple prasad.
- Reduce coconut oil to 1/3 cup
- Less rich and a little less glossy. Stir constantly while roasting, since the semolina scorches more easily.
- Raw cane sugar or jaggery for the white sugar
- Deeper caramel flavor and a darker color. Dissolve jaggery in the hot liquid and strain it before adding.
- A few drops of rose water with the cardamom
- Adds a floral, festive aroma that goes well with saffron.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
390kcal per serving
Everything else · 6 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 15.3 g 77%
- Sugars
- 27.5 g
- Sodium
- 34 mg 1%
- Potassium
- 122 mg 3%
- Calcium
- 85 mg 7%
- Iron
- 1.6 mg 9%
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg 0%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Beverages, almond milk, unsweetened, shelf stable, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Sugars, granulated, Spices, saffron, Oil, coconut, Nuts, cashew nuts, raw, Raisins, dark, seedless (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Semolina, enriched (USDA SR Legacy, Cereal Grains and Pasta), values as mirrored by getfoodfacts.com. The fdc.nal.usda.gov page itself could not be fetched., Spices, cardamom
Method
Combine the almond milk, water, sugar and saffron in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then keep it at a bare simmer on low. Don't let it boil hard, or the almond milk can catch on the bottom.
Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed kadai or wide saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cashews and fry, stirring, until light golden, 1–2 minutes. Add the raisins and stir until they puff, about 30 seconds. Lift both out with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
Add the semolina to the oil and stir constantly over medium-low heat. At first it will look like wet sand. Keep going until it loosens, smells toasty and nutty, and turns an even light golden color, 8–10 minutes. Lower the heat if it starts browning at the edges before the center colors.
Turn the heat to low. Stand back and pour the hot almond milk mixture into the semolina in a slow stream, stirring continuously. It will sputter and steam hard at first.
Keep stirring and breaking up any lumps until the semolina absorbs all the liquid and the halwa thickens, pulls away from the sides of the pan and the oil starts to glisten at the edges, 2–3 minutes.
Stir in the cardamom and most of the fried cashews and raisins. Cover and let it rest off the heat for 2 minutes so the grains swell fully.
Fluff with a spoon. Offer as prasad or serve warm, topped with the remaining cashews and raisins and the pistachios, if using. Traditionally it's served with kala chana and puri.
Storage: Cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan or the microwave with 1–2 tbsp water or almond milk, stirring until soft again.
Questions
- How much protein is in 20-minute vegan sooji halwa for ashtami prasad with cardamom, cashews and raisins?
- Each of the 6 servings has 4 g of protein, 1 g of fiber and 390 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is 20-minute vegan sooji halwa for ashtami prasad with cardamom, cashews and raisins vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does 20-minute vegan sooji halwa for ashtami prasad with cardamom, cashews and raisins take to make?
- 5 minutes of prep and 18 minutes of cooking, so 23 minutes of hands-on time, plus 2 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make 20-minute vegan sooji halwa for ashtami prasad with cardamom, cashews and raisins ahead?
- Cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan or the microwave with 1–2 tbsp water or almond milk, stirring until soft again.
- What can I substitute in 20-minute vegan sooji halwa for ashtami prasad with cardamom, cashews and raisins?
- Oat milk or extra water instead of almond milk — oat milk gives a slightly creamier, nut-free halwa. all water makes it lighter and more like traditional temple prasad.. Reduce coconut oil to 1/3 cup — less rich and a little less glossy. stir constantly while roasting, since the semolina scorches more easily.. Raw cane sugar or jaggery for the white sugar — deeper caramel flavor and a darker color. dissolve jaggery in the hot liquid and strain it before adding.. A few drops of rose water with the cardamom — adds a floral, festive aroma that goes well with saffron..
- Does 20-minute vegan sooji halwa for ashtami prasad with cardamom, cashews and raisins contain gluten or tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten and tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 8, 2026 ·Indian
