Delhiwale: Simply sooji, and yet

Living with husband, son and his family, Ms Rani says she learnt her basic skills in cooking from Swarajvati. “She was my Chaiji.... in my town we address mummy as Chaiji.”

The most simple things can be the toughest, especially in cooking. Everybody can boil an egg, but not everybody can boil it perfectly.

(Mayank Austen Soofi)

Take sooji halwa. So easy to make, apparently, and so many do it reasonably decent. This makes it tough for a sooji halwa to stand out from the crowd.

In Santosh Rani’s hands, the delicacy becomes truly sublime—a truth acknowledged way beyond her 30th floor apartment in Gurugram.

“My secret is I add a little besan to the sooji,” Ms Rani disarmingly reveals this afternoon, on WhatsApp video. The lady’s deep-throated voice is like comfort food—so affectionate and protective that you’re tempted to give her a hug. Indeed, she is like one of those cordial Jane Austen characters who spark a nice feel every time they turn up on the page, even when just passing through. Right now she is distressed she can’t offer her halwa through phone screen.

Living with husband, son and his family, Ms Rani says she learnt her basic skills in cooking from Swarajvati. “She was my Chaiji.... in my town we address mummy as Chaiji.”

In her early 70s, she has mostly lived in the Delhi region, but spent the first 18 years before her marriage in Amritsar, Punjab. “Our house was near Dal Mandi, close to Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple).” She often visited the iconic temple and recalls eagerly receiving the sacred halwa prasad. “It was always delicious and used to be of atta, not sooji.”

Ms Rani now prepares her edition of the sooji halwa. She makes it whenever “dil kehta hain (heart says)”, including on religious occasions and birthdays. Most recently she cooked it during the Lakshmi Pooja in Shradh, the traditional month to offer homage to one’s ancestors. She is partial to desi ghee, “which is good for overall health if taken moderately.” And good for skin too, she asserts—her husband rubs it on his hands every morning after his pooja.

But is Ms Rani’s sooji halwa as tasty as her late Chaiji’s? The lady burst into giggles, saying tactfully, “No comments!”

Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup sooji

2-3 tbsp besan

1 cup sugar

3 cups water

1 pinch saffron

3 whole elaichi

Handful of almonds & cashews

1 cup ghee

Method

Put water, saffron, elaichi and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. While that boils, heat ghee in a kadahi and roast the sooji and besan on medium heat until it turns fragrant and golden. Lower the flame and add boiled sugar water, while stirring continuously (it bubbles up at this point so be careful). Keep stirring until it thickens and the fat separates. Transfer to a bowl, garnish with nuts, and serve hot