Suji or Semolina Sweet Dish

Suji is a simple sweet dish that is extremely popular in West Bengal. Here is something about the history of Semolina. Wikipaedia says this

"The term semolina derives from the Italian word "semola" that derives from the ancient Latin simila, meaning "flour," itself a borrowing from Greek σεμῖδαλις (semidalis), "groats". Though present in Latin and Greek, the word is not Indo-European in origin, but a loan word from the Semitic root smd - to grind into groats. The root is attested in Arabic, Aramaic and Akkadian. In Arabic, semolina is referred to as samîd, also spelled sameed"

This is a simple Bengali recipe that tastes wonderful. It is usually eaten with Luchi or plain chapatis. This is very popular with young people and as soon as I make it, it used to be finished in 20 minutes when my family were young. It takes about 20 minutes to cook. A quick dish suited to the younger generation and their busy lives.

SUJI RECIPE

Ingredients.

1. 2 heaped tablespoons of Ghee or 1/2 a teacup Stork Margarine

2. I teacup of Samolina

3. 1 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Sugar substitutes and lower calorie sugars can also be used. The amount added can be varied depending on how sweet your tooth is.

4. 1 dry Bayleaf

5. 4-5 whole cardamoms

6. 1 1/2 pint whole milk

Instructions

1. You will require a medium sized saucepan and one wooden spoon.

2. Take the 2 tablespoons of margarine [or ghee] and melt this in the saucepan under medium heat.

3. After the margarine has melted fully, add semolina in the saucepan. Fry this under medium heat until brownish in colour.

4. Add the milk

5. Add the sugar, bayleaf and cardamoms [ contents can be opened or closed].

6. Stir this mixture under medium heat until it has thickened - it will resemble the consistency of porridge.

7. After it has thickened, taste a bit to see if you need to add further sugar. If sugar needs to be added, do this until you are happy with it. Take off the heat and switch your cooker off.

8. Suji can be eaten hot or cold [ from the fridge].

It is best eaten with Luchi as mentioned earlier but is often eaten as a snack or desert. Enjoy!