IndianNagori halwa
Semolina puris with halwa
नागोरी हलवा (nagori halwa): tiny crisp semolina puris with sweet sooji halwa and a tangy potato curry
On cold winter mornings in Old Delhi, the halwais near Chawri Bazar and Sitaram Bazar set out trays of nagori: thumb-sized, rock-crisp puris made with semolina. You crack one open, spoon in warm, ghee-rich sooji halwa and eat it with a bite of spicy potato curry, the sweet and the savoury taking turns. It is a breakfast that keeps you going through a foggy December day. Chef's tip: roast the semolina for the halwa slowly until it smells of toasted nuts; under-roasted semolina makes a pasty, flat halwa.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 620 kcal
Ingredients
For the nagori
- 3 ½ oz fine semolina (sooji)
- 1 ¾ oz wholewheat flour (atta)
- ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 ¼ tsp salt¼ tsp for the dough, 1 tsp for the curry
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ¼ cup waterabout
- 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil2 tbsp for the curry, the rest for frying
For the halwa
- 3 ½ oz coarse semolina
- 2 ⅞ oz ghee
- 4 oz sugar
- 1 ¾ cups water
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
For the potato curry
- 14 oz potatoesboiled, peeled and broken into chunks
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp fresh gingergrated
- 1 green chillichopped
- 1 tomatochopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 ¼ cups water
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 3 ½ oz fine semolina (sooji), 1 ¾ oz wholewheat flour (atta), ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain) and a fifth of the 1 ¼ tsp salt. Rub in 1 tbsp ghee, then knead with ¼ cup water to a stiff dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
5 minStep 2: For the curry, heat 2 tbsp of the 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a pan over a medium heat, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, then 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 1 green chilli. Add 1 tomato, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp ground coriander and the rest of the salt and cook for 3 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Add 14 oz potatoes and 1 ¼ cups water, crush a few pieces to thicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in ½ tsp dried mango powder (amchur) and keep warm.
10 minStep 4: For the halwa, warm 2 ⅞ oz ghee in a heavy pan over a low heat and add 3 ½ oz coarse semolina. Stir constantly for 8–10 minutes, until golden and nutty-smelling. Common mistake: hurrying this on a high heat; the halwa ends up raw-tasting and gluey.
10 minStep 5: Meanwhile bring 1 ¾ cups water and 4 oz sugar to the boil in another pan. Pour the hot syrup carefully into the semolina, standing back as it splutters, and stir for 3 minutes until it thickens and pulls away from the pan. Stir in ½ tsp ground cardamom.
4 minStep 6: Divide the dough into 24 small balls and roll each into a 5 cm round. Prick each twice with a fork so it stays flat and crisp instead of puffing.
8 minStep 7: Pour 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil into a deep, heavy pan so it is no more than a third full and heat it over a medium heat to 350°F on a thermometer; with no thermometer, a small cube of bread should turn golden in about 70 seconds. Never leave hot oil unattended, and keep children well away.
5 minStep 8: Fry the nagori in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning, until evenly golden and hard. Drain on kitchen paper.
8 minStep 9: Serve the nagori warm with bowls of halwa and potato curry: crack a nagori, fill it with halwa and eat it with a bite of the curry.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 85 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nagori halwa take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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