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 Uses of Semolina (rava, sooji)

  Last Updated : Jan 02,2019






14 Uses of Semolina (rava, sooji)

Semolina, also known as Rava or sooji, is a coarse flour that is made from Durum wheat and can vary in color from yellow to white depending on the quality of the wheat. Semolina is mainly used for making pasta, different kinds of cereals or desserts in USA and other countries but in India it is used mostly to make savoury dishes. 

1. Semolina is used to make both savory and sweet dishes. The most basic and most known Indian dishes with rava are Upma and Rava Idli. These snacks too can be further modified into different dishes by addition of various other elements like tomato puree or a tadka.  

2. Semolina is extensively used in the South Indian cuisine. In the south, rava is used to make the famous Rava dosa, different types of idlis and Rava appe and a traditional vada like snack that is pan fried in a special pan. The beauty of all these items is that they can be eaten at any time of the day.   

3. Rava Chilla, is a savory pancake where the semolina is mixed with spices and finely chopped vegetables and cooked on a hot tava. 

4. Semolina takes hardly any time to soak, so you can quickly whip it up into delicacies. Rava does not even require any grinding or fermentation and can be used to make quick snacks and breakfasts.  

5. Rava sweet dishes are a big thing in India. Ghee-roasted semolina when cooked with a little milk and water and the desired amount of sugar will make a traditional Sooji Ka Halwa. This is often served as Prasad (offering to God) during Indian festivals of Satyanarayan Puja and Ganesh Chaturthi.  

6. You can also add pureed fruits to make a tasty fruit halwa like mango sheera and pineapple sheera or make the sheeras flavored with different dry fruits.   

7. Semolina can also be used to coat a patty or cutlet, or the Baati for Daal Baati Churma to give it a nice crispy coating. Try this Indian Railways Veg Cutlet Sandwich that is a go-to or comfort food for frequent train travellers. 

8. Diwali is incomplete without making an array of dry snacks. Farsi Puri is often made in every Gujarati household. The addition of semolina and ghee to the plain flour dough gives the puri a melt-in-the-mouth, crumbly texture. 

9. Everyone loves Pani Puri! But not many people know that the puri is made with semolina as well! To make the puri, the dough has to be kneaded really well for the puris to fluff up. 

10. Semolina is the secret ingredient that is used to prevent the base of fresh pizza dough from sticking to the pan. 

11. All types of pasta are typically made with semolina flour. The dried pasta that we get in the stores are simply made with semolina flour and water, mixed and then dried so that they can be stored for a longer amount of time. 

12. In bread making, a small proportion of semolina added to the usual mix of flour produces a tasty crust, especially scrumptious with shortbread. 

13. Semolina is used in many European countries to make puddings and porridges.

14.   It is also effectively used to thicken stews, as a base for soufflé, as a hot cereal or as a cooked meal on its own.

To know about Recipes using Semolina, check out our collection.

uses of semolina

upma | rava upma | sooji upma | quick upma recipe | breakfast upma | with 19 amazing images. Upma is one of the most common South Indian breakfast recipes, which is now popular all over India. rava upma is a quick preparation using common ingredients available in the Indian kitchen, and so it can be made without much ado. breakfast upma is made by roasting rava which is then a tempering of spices along with some onions and cooked on a slow flame for 3 to 4 minutes. You can also make quick upma recipe healthier by adding a lot of boiled vegetables like carrots, beans, potatoes, tomatoes and peas along with the semolina when cooking. This will add more fibre to sooji upma making it a lot healthier. Serve rava upma hot in an inverted cup shape, as suggested. Tips to make rava upma quickly when your kids come home. You can roast a large quantity of rava , store it in an airtight container which makes the rava last longer and not get fungus. Use it as and when you wish to make Upma. I would like to share some important tips to make the perfect rava upma. Mix the Upma well and cook on a medium flame for not more than 1 minute, while stirring continuously. Cooking for a long period of time, after the addition of lemon can make rava upma bitter. Love South Indian Food, then do try other South Indian Breakfast recipes like Rice and Moong Dal Idli , Kadubu, Moru Moru Dosa, Pesarattu, Uppu-Urundai and Ven Pongal. Enjoy how to make upma recipe | rava upma | sooji upma | quick upma recipe with detailed step by step photos and video below.
2.  
 by Tarla Dalal
rava dosa recipe | instant rava dosa | sooji dosa | South Indian rava dosa | crispy semolina dosa | with 17 amazing images. Rava dosa is an easy to make counterpart of the traditional dosa ! These crispyrava dosas are made with a batter of semolina and buttermilk. While South Indian rava dosa is very popular in the South, it is also a popular Mumbai Street Food . Making rava dosa is easy. The first part is making the rava dosa batter. Combine the semolina, flour, curds and ½ cup of water together in a bowl and mix well to get a smooth batter. Ferment. Add the green chillies, cumin seeds, coconut, cashew nuts and salt and mix well. Add more water as required and mix well to a thin sooji dosa batter. The second part of making instant rava dosa is heat a non-stick tava. Pour ½ cup of the rava dosa batter and tilt the tava in all directions so that it forms a thin circle. Smear a little oil on the sides, cook till both sides are golden brown in colour. Your sooji dosa is ready. I would like to share with you some tips to make the perfect rava dosa recipe. 1. Curd provides a nice flavour to the dosa but, if you are vegan, skip adding it. 2. Mix well to get a smooth batter. Make sure the batter is lump-free. 3. The batter must have a pouring consistency to be able to spread easily on the pan. It should literally be watery and as thin as buttermilk. 4. Never use a roti/paratha tava to prepare dosa. Also, preferably make use of thick, heavy bottomed tava to prepare semolina dosa. 5. The tawa must be super hot to get crispy rava dosa. The rava dosa batter does not require any grinding or fermenting and makes it perfect for breakfast on a busy morning. Serve crispy rava dosa hot with coconut chutney and sambar. See our collection of dosa recipes and try dosas like Stuffed Moong Sprouts Dosa, Buckwheat Dosa and Schezwan Cheese Dosa. Enjoy rava dosa recipe | instant rava dosa | sooji dosa | South Indian rava dosa | crispy semolina dosa | with detailed step by step photos below.
3.  
 by Tarla Dalal
rava chilla recipe | sooji ka cheela | suji ka cheela | instant sooji chilla - Indian breakfast | with 20 amazing images. rava chilla recipe | sooji ka cheela | suji ka cheela | instant sooji chilla - Indian breakfast is our own desi alternative to pancakes! Learn how to make instant sooji chilla - Indian breakfast. To make rava chilla, combine the rava and ¾ cup of water in a deep bowl and whisk well. Cover with a lid and keep aside for 20 minutes. Add all the other ingredients along with ¼ cup of water and mix well. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle), grease it with ¼ tsp of oil and pour a ladleful of the batter on it and spread it lightly to make a 125 mm. (5”) diameter circle. Cook using 1 tsp of oil till both the sides turn golden brown in colour. Repeat step 4 to make 5 more chillas. Serve immediately with green chutney. Chilla is one of the handiest breakfasts one can think of! There is a lot of variety to choose from, it is quick and easy to prepare, and usually does not require complex procedures to make the batter. Here’s an easy and spicy sooji ka cheela that you can prepare in a whiz even on a busy morning. Just mix the batter and set it aside for a while till you get other things ready, then bring out the tava, cook your instant sooji chilla - Indian breakfast and enjoy them before heading out to face the day. You will love the crunch of onions and the aroma of coriander in this snazzy suji ka cheela, which tastes great with green chutney. You can also try other breakfast recipes like Broken Wheat Upma or Bread Uttapam. Tips for rava chilla . 1. Ensure that the semolina you buy is free of lumps and debris. 2. You can also add some chopped greens to this chilla like spinach, fenugreek leaves etc. 3. If you wish you can mix the batter and keep it ready in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. Just add salt just before making the cheela. Enjoy rava chilla recipe | sooji ka cheela | suji ka cheela | instant sooji chilla - Indian breakfast | with step by step photos.
rava sheera recipe | suji ka halwa | sooji halwa | with 13 amazing images A wonderful quick Indian dessert, rava sheera can be prepared in minutes. It does not require much advance preparation, and can be whipped up even at short notice. suji ka halwa is traditional, yet modern in its simplicity, making it a sheer delight. suji ka halwa is made by roasting rava in ghee, then adding milk, water, sugar and nuts which are then cooked on a slow flame for 10 minutes. I would like to share some important tips to make the perfect sooji halwa. 1. Using warm milk is important as it will help the semolina cook faster. 2. Add 2½ cups of hot water. These liquids will help in cooking the semolina properly. 3. Cover and cook suji ka halwa on a slow flame about 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally. It might take a little more or less time as it depends highly on the quality of the sooji and also the flame on which it is cooked. rava sheera recipe makes a traditional and delightful combination with puris and chana. Check our collection of sheera recipes, that apart from semolina are made using varieties of nuts, flours or a combination of flour and fruits and even dals like mango sheera and badam ka sheera. Enjoy how to make rava sheera recipe | suji ka halwa | sooji halwa | with detailed step by step photos and video below.
5.  
 by Tarla Dalal
mango sheera recipe | mango suji halwa | mango kesari | with 17 amazing images. Mango Sheera is quite easy to make so you can make it any time you wish. Learn how to make mango sheera recipe | mango suji halwa | mango kesari | This wonderful mango kesari Indian dessert, with a fruity twist, is sure to be enjoyed by every member of the family. The addition of ripe alphonso mangoes into the sooji halwa brings in a refreshing taste to the palate. It is fairly quick and simple to make and tastes delicious with the natural aroma of fresh mangoes. The addition of mango pulp in the mango halwa spiced with cardamom and garnished with nuts, adds an interesting twist to this indulgent and popular halwa. Tips to make mango sheera: 1. Chopped mangoes in the sheera gives a pleasant mouthfeel. 2. You can add any nuts of your choice in the sheera. 3. You cannot replace ghee with anything for making sheera. Enjoy mango sheera recipe | mango suji halwa | mango kesari | with detailed step by step photos.
6.  
 by Tarla Dalal
dal baati churma recipe | Rajasthani dal baati churma | authentic dal baati churma | with 50 amazing images. This three-in-one treat dal baati churma is a typical Rajasthani treat. The Rajasthanis specialise in serving sweet and savoury dishes in combinations that steal the heart and delight the taste buds. A platter of semi-sweet Churma, spicy Dal and deep-fried Baati, is one such traditional Rajasthani dal baati churma combination. Fresh baatis drowned in piping hot dal is a perfect accompaniment for churma. Because of water scarcity and climatic conditions, different method of cooking are used. Rajasthani cuisine has dishes that can be prepared and stored for days! Dal baati is one of the main dishes of Rajasthani cuisine, the dish for which the cuisine is known for. The baati is a hard bread made with coarse whole wheat flour, semolina, ghee, besan and flavored with fennel seeds and carom seeds. Baatis can be fried or baked. The origin of baati goes way back to Rawal dynasty where the soldiers would make balls of dough and bury them under the sand and after they would return back from the war the baatis would be completely and nicely baked. Baati became a famous war-time meal. Later, then the combination of dal baati became very famous. Churma is believed to be invented by accident, sugarcane juice fell over baatis by mistake which made them softer and further evolved into churma. The process to make dal baati churma together may take long time yet the out-come and the efforts are worth everything!! Generous amount of ghee is used in making all the dal baati churma as it is believed that ghee enhances the taste and helps the real flavor come out. Tips for dal baati churma recipe. 1. The dough for baati should be stiff or else the baatis won’t be firm. 2. Make a small indentation in the center of the baatis using your thumb. You can also make an ‘X’ or ‘+’ sign indentation, so it gets cooked well from inside too. If you have ever been to Rajasthan in the winter months, you will know that this authentic dal baati churma combo is a wonderful way to warm yourself up on a cold day! Enjoy dal baati churma recipe | Rajasthani dal baati churma | authentic dal baati churma | with detailed step by step recipe photos and video below.
7.  
 by Tarla Dalal
The Indian Railways Veg Cutlet Sandwich is part-and-parcel of the travel memories of those who travel by Indian Railways. It is a go-to or comfort food for many frequent travellers, and warms their souls when travelling across the country! The deep-fried Cutlet offers a chunky bite of roughly-smashed veggies coated in semolina. The cutlet may be shaped in different ways – round, oblong or heart-shaped, but make sure you shape it firmly so that it does not separate while frying. You need to take care of multiple factors when deep-frying these cutlets – the temperature of the oil must be maintained properly, and you should fry only one or two cutlets at a time. Avoid turning the cutlets frequently while frying. Sounds like a lot of care is needed to make it – but this droolworthy snack is surely worth it! These yummy cutlets are usually served with bread, butter and tomato ketchup. You can make them into a proper sandwich as shown here, by placing the cutlets between buttered, ketchup-lined bread slices, to make a scrumptious snack! You can also try other snacks like the Pav Bhaji Sandwich or Soya and Green Peas Cutlet
8.  
 by Tarla Dalal
farsi puri recipe | Gujarati farsi poori | Indian farsi puri Diwali snack | with 32 amazing images. farsi puri recipe | Gujarati farsi poori | Indian farsi puri Diwali snack is a perfect accompaniment to a cup of masala chai or coffee. Learn how to make Gujarati farsi poori. To make farsi puri, combine all the ingredients in a deep bowl, mix well and knead into a stiff dough using little water. Divide the dough into 24 equal portions and roll each portion into a 50 mm. (2”) diameter thick circle. Prick the puris all over using a fork. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick kadhai, and deep-fry a few puris at a time, on a slow flame till they turn light brown in colour from both the sides. Drain on an absorbent paper. Cool completely and store them in an air-tight container. For Gujaratis, Diwali is incomplete without farsi poori. This deep-fried dry snack has evergreen fanfare, and you will understand why if you just try it once. It is quite often sent to each other’s house during Diwali. It is soft but yet crispy. This Indian farsi puri Diwali snack is made with common ingredients and is easy to make, but it has a melt-in-the-mouth texture because of the addition of semolina and ghee to the plain flour dough, and a lingering flavour contributed by black pepper. While we have made it with maida as the base ingredient, some people also prefer to use equal proportion of maida and wheat flour. Tips for farsi puri. 1. You can also add little roasted cumin seed powder. 2. Always measure the ghee after it is melted. 3. Do not roll the puris thinly, it should be little thick. 4. These puris should be stored in an air-tight container, stays good for at least 10 days. These puris can be carried for picnic, travelling or even taken to work. Enjoy farsi puri recipe | Gujarati farsi poori | Indian farsi puri Diwali snack | with step by step photos.
pani puri recipe | golgappa | puchka | home made pani puri | with amazing 33 images. pani puris are known as "golgappas" in Northern India and as "poochkas" in West Bengal. pani puri is crisp semolina puris filled with sprouts and chilled mint flavoured water make a great snack for a hot summer afternoon. When my favourite “ pani puri wallah" is serving me these delightful little puris one after the other, I just go on eating till I can eat no more! Sprouts can be replaced by hot ragda to complement the chilled mint water. Making the puris takes some time to master and although they can be bought from a local store, the extra effort put in to make them at home is well worth the trouble. Do remember to store the puris in an air-tight container. You can always refresh them by baking them in a slow oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Finding excuses to invite people over, organize a chaat party and serve in disposable plates made from dry 'Sal' leaves to create an ambience. End on a sweet note with desserts like Baked Boondi Gulab Jamun Kesar Malai Kulfi and Malpuas. Pani Puri, have it spicy sweet or balanced – just the way you like it! It is a delight to watch the vendor skilfully punch a tiny hole in each puri thereafter adding the fillings and dipping it in the meetha chutney and teekha pani. Because of the hygiene and cleanliness issue, many people prefer making pani puri at home from scratch. The elements required for making home made golgappa are - crispy puri, a stuffing of your choice (soaked boondi, boiled potatoes, chickpeas and moong or ragda) and pani (teekha phudina pani and sweet imli pani). There are many other versions of pani too like lehsun ka pani, jaljeera, hing jeera pani. The recipe can be modified as per your preference. If you are making a mixed sprouts stuffing for pani puri then you would require some pre-preparation of 2 days. Make sure, you assemble pani puri only when you are eating it or else it will get soggy and the crispiness of the puri will be lost. Once you are done don’t forget to have a sip of teekha pani and a sukha puri to bring the delightful experience to a fitting end! Learn to make pani puri recipe | golgappa | puchka | home made pani puri | with detailed step by step recipe photos below.
10.  
 by Tarla Dalal
instant rava appe recipe | instant vegetable rava appam | South Indian style rava appe | with 19 amazing images. instant rava appe is quick and easy batter of semolina and curds fortified with colourful and crunchy veggies, yields mouth-watering instant rava appam that’ll appeal to young and old alike. The Instant Rava Appe is a scrumptious South Indian snack, which can be enjoyed with breakfast or at tea-time. This Quick Vegetable Appe recipe is something you can whip in no time for a jhatpat South-Indian breakfast and is made in a special equipment called appe mould, which is easily available in the market. To make instant rava appe take rava in a bowl, we have added curd to it as it will inherit sourness in the appe and also make it soft, also adding water and making a smooth batter. Further, we have added veggies which make it nutritive and also enhance the taste of it, followed by green chili paste. Every South-Indian dish is incomplete without the tempering, so we have tempered the batter with tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Mix well and heat the appe mould and pour spoonful of batter in each mould. Cook both the sides till golden brown using very little oil. Also, make sure you cook instant rava appam on a slow flame or else they will turn brown from the outside and stay uncooked from inside. Serve the instant rava appam hot with coconut chutney immediately. The taste is enjoyed better when relished hot. instant rava appe is super simple to make as there is no grinding or fermentation required. You can just make it on a whim any time you wish. You can add any other vegetables also to this instant rava appe as per your liking. Serve it with coconut chutney. Also try your hand at making other South Indian snacks like Mysore Bonda and Medu Vada. Enjoy instant rava appe recipe | instant vegetable rava appam | South Indian style rava appe | with detailed step by step recipe photos and video below.
11.  
 by Tarla Dalal
quick rava idli recipe | instant idli using sooji | easy no fermentation semolina idli | with 40 amazing images. quick rava idli recipe is a quick South Indian breakfast dish. Learn how to make instant idli using sooji. quick rava idli can be made rather quickly as the batter need not be fermented. However, you ought to take into account half an hour’s soaking time. Since quick rava idli is steamed, it is easier to digest than upma, and has a convenient form factor for serving as well as packing. suji idli for the tiffin box stays soft and humid for longer. Tips for quick rava idli. 1. After 30 minutes of soaking the batter. Note that the rava will suck up a lot of the water. 2. Just before steaming, add 1 tbsp fruit salt. Fruit salt provides a spongy, fluffy texture. Use neutral flavored fruit salt. 3. Mix gently after adding fruit salt. Don’t mix it vigorously, just gently fold in. 4. In the batter you can use buttermilk instead of curds and water to get that nice sour taste. Just avoid adding salt and tempering to the buttermilk. 5. Make sure you steam the idlis on high flame so that the water is boiling all the time. As we are making 5 batches of ildi, you will need to add water to the steamer when required. 6. If you don't have eno fruit salt, you can use baking soda instead. 7. You can add grated vegetables, such as carrots or onions, to the batter. quick rava idli is a popular South Indian breakfast recipe made often in many parts of India as there is no fermentation required. Serve quick rava idli with coconut chutney and sambar. Enjoy quick rava idli recipe | instant idli using sooji | easy no fermentation semolina idli | with step by step photos.
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