Semolina pudding has got to be one of my favourites. Not only is it packed with protein, it also tastes delicious!

The classic semolina pudding, also known as shiro, in Indian cuisine is comprised of semolina, milk, ghee, sugar, saffron, raisins, pistachios and almonds. It is delicious eaten either hot or cold.

I added a twist on this classic semolina pudding by making it a fennel seed pudding. I also replaced the sugar with a healthier alternative, jaggery. It is still sugar but less refined and has lots of iron in it.

I added raisins for that fruity kick and topped it with roasted cashew nuts and chopped pistachios for a nutty crunch.

Please also note, I used only 2 tbsp of ghee rather than 3 tbsp as I don’t like adding too much fat to my sweet dishes. I always try to reduce it where possible. Adding more ghee will make the semolina grains separate a bit more and you should add more, possible 3 – 4 tbsp of ghee if you want to serve this to guests. For this semolina pudding to be perfect, the more the grains are separated, the more ideal it is.

 

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INGREDIENTS:

 

1/2 cup semolina

2 tbsp ghee (You can use 3 – 4 tbsp if you want)

3 heaped tbsp of jaggery (or use 1/4 cup white sugar or 1/3 cup brown sugar. You can always taste it while it is cooking and add more if you like it sweeter)

3 cups of hot water

1 tsp fennel seeds

Handful of chopped cashew nuts

Handful of chopped pistachios

Handful of raisins

 

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METHOD:

 

In a bowl, add the jaggery and 1 cup of hot water to melt it. Also add the fennel seeds in this mixture and mix.

 

In another pan, add the ghee. Once hot, add the semolina and keep stirring on a low – medium flame. You do not want the semolina to burn. It does get rather hot so you have to be careful. Keep stirring for about 7 – 10 minutes. When you see that it is becoming pinkish (not too pink, that means it is burnt), eat a bit and it should be crunchy. If it is not crunchy, it is not yet cooked. When you hear it crunch in your mouth, that means it is cooked.

 

Once the semolina is crunchy and pinkish in colour, add the jaggery water. Keep stirring the mixture. Add the rest of the 2 cups of hot water and keep stirring.

 

Add the sultanas.

 

At this stage, the semolina will rapidly absorb the water so you need to check if it tastes right. If you need to add more sugar, you should add it here. Once the semolina becomes thick, it will become difficult to mix.

 

Cover the pan and leave the semolina to cook on a low flame for about 10 – 15 minutes. Keep checking intermittently and mix it so that it does not get burnt.

 

Finally, remove the cover and let the steam escape. Leave the semolina pudding to cook a bit more and once you feel it is thick enough, switch off the flame and pour it into a bowl.

 

In another pan, roast the chopped cashew nuts. You can either dry roast them or roast them in ghee. I just dry roast them.

 

Top the semolina pudding with chopped pistachios and roasted cashew nuts.

 

Enjoy hot or cold. I love it cold 🙂 Makes for a perfect dessert at night when watching netflix!

 

 

 

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Fennel Cashew Nut & Raisins Semolina Pudding – Vegetarian Dessert Recipes

 

I hope you enjoy making this fennel semolina pudding. It is very easy to make.

You can skip the pistachios if you have allergies. Add any toppings that you like e.g. walnuts, almonds, pecan nuts etc.

You can also eat this alongside fruits such as grapes! It tastes so refreshing and delicious.