Banana Suji Halwa (Semolina Dessert) for Babies
So this recipe is a golden oldie… literally! It’s golden appearance and soft texture makes it a wonderful treat for baby, and taken from my first ever ebook published 4 ½ years ago, it’s definitely an oldie. I decided to publish this recipe at the request of one of my lovely followers, so I hope you all enjoy.
Suji (sooji) is a traditional Indian and Pakistani pudding made from semolina. Semolina is made from durum wheat, so provided your little one doesn’t have a wheat allergy, this one will go down a treat! Aaliyah loved this one – well-mashed, naturally sweet and with tiny little soft lumps, is perfect for working your little one’s tongue muscles to help speech develop. It’s also super easy and quick to cook – ready in just 15 minutes. Suitable for babies from 7 months onwards.
Total prep and cooking time – 10-15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 3 saffron strands
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee
- 1 whole green cardamom pod
- 3 tbsp semolina flour (fine)
- 1 ripe banana - peeled, mashed
- 50ml of water
Method
Pour the milk into a cup and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until hot, add the saffron strands and stir. The hot milk helps the saffron infuse the milk, releasing a lovely fragrant flavour, and slowly changing the colour of the milk to light orange. I’d recommend using the back of a teaspoon to crush the saffron against the inside of the cup to speed up the infusion process, and set aside.
Next melt the butter or ghee in a saucepan on low heat, add the cardamom and semolina, and stir continuously for a few minutes until the colour of the semolina changes to light golden brown. Add the mashed banana, saffron infused milk, water and stir continuously until the mixture thickens to a dough-like consistency – this will take up to 5 minutes. If the semolina still appears a little mushy, add some extra semolina flour and continue to cook.
Once cooked, remove the cardamom pod, then mash the suji into small soft lumps, and allow to cool slightly before serving to your little one.
