Lip-Smacking Sapada Bhakshya: South Indian Version of Halwa
Image Credit: Sapada Bhakshya is served as prasadam | Instagram - @thefoodycook

Sapada is the favourite sheera Prasad that is exclusively offered at Satyanarayana Vratha/Pooja. It is an extremely good, delightful, and delectably delicious dessert. As a prasadam, only a spoonful of Sapada is served which only leaves you wanting more of it. Since, the quantity offered is not enough, here is the recipe to enjoy the Sapada at home. When semolina is cooked with ghee, milk, and banana, the incredible flavour and scent are enhanced, yielding an extremely lip-smacking dish. The dessert is well-balanced and powerfully packed with raisins, cashews and bananas. The Sapapda melts as soon as it goes. Make this sweet dish whenever you want as it is simple to cook with easily available and affordable ingredients. Prepare this overwhelming Sapada as a snack, for brunch, for tea or at night.

Sapada comes from Sapatha. The concept underlying Sapatha is ‘sama patha’ or equal portions of all elements. In other words, everything is simply assembled and prepared in even proportions. The divine Sapada Bhakshya, aka Satyanarayana Prasada, is traditionally prepared with exactly 5 ingredients – semolina, milk, banana, ghee and sugar. In North India, it is widely called ‘Sooji ka Halwa’ and is prepared during the 9-day festival, Navratri. Apart from being a prasadam, it is happily relished on festivals or on special and happy days. Follow the dimensions and instructions below, nevertheless, if you want flawless Sapatha paksha.

Sapada Bhakshya | Instagram - @udupirecipe

Cooking time – 20 minutes

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup Semolina (medium rava or sooji)
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Ghee
  • 1 cup Full fat Milk
  • 1 cup Sugar, adjust to your taste
  • ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
  • 1 tablespoon Cashews
  • 1 tablespoon Raisins
  • 1 banana, sliced thinly

Method

  • Take a saucepan and heat some ghee in it. Add roughly crushed/chopped cashews and roast them. Remove and keep aside.
  • Add raisins in the ghee and roast them for a few seconds as well. Keep the raisins in the same bowl along with the cashews and set aside.
  • In the same saucepan with ghee, add semolina. Roast it for 4-5 minutes over low to medium heat.  Let the semolina absorb all ghee.
  • Once the ghee is absorbed, add milk slowly and steadily while continuously mixing it with the semolina. Keep stirring to avoid the formation of lumps. 
  • Once the semolina is cooked through and the milk has nearly been consumed, put on the lid and let cook for a few seconds on low heat.
  • Remove the lid and stir nicely. Now, add the sugar along with more ghee and combine thoroughly. (Before adding sugar, make sure the semolina is fully cooked because sugar simply prevents the cooking process).
  • Allow the sugar to dissolve. Keep stirring until a watery consistency is obtained.
  • Now, add cardamom powder, sliced bananas and roasted dried fruits. Mix well and continue stirring.
  • Cover and cook for 2 minutes over low heat. Remove the lid and stir.
  • When Sapada becomes a little watery and thickens at the same time, put off the flame .
  • Serve and enjoy while it is hot.

Savour the guilty-pleasures with scrumptious Sapada Bhakshya and go gala over it!