Huw’s sweet semolina

I decided to cook something that makes me feel really happy. This dessert is super delicious and also brings back some really good memories. A few years ago I was in Australia, volunteering at an Organic farm run by Krishna devotees, they were great people to be around and the food was so good there I almost didn’t want to leave – Keshava (one of the devotees) told me that’s the reason he joined the ashram!
The recipe I use is from a book called the Higher Taste, it’s a vegetarian cookbook that you’ll find in pretty much every Hare Krishna cafe, anywhere in the world.

This is the first time I’m following the recipe properly, I normally use dates instead of raisins and walnuts. That’s how we made it at the farm for their monthly feast. For me the most important part is to chant Hare Krishna while you “sacrifice the semolina grains” in the heat of the pan.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
140 g unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups semolina

1/3 cup of walnuts

Method.

1. Combine water, sugar and raisins in a pot. Heat it and stir it until sugar is dissolved.
2. Put the butter in saucepan and melt it over low heat. Then add the semolina and stir the grains for about 15 minutes or until they become darker and more fragrant. Add walnuts for the last 5 minutes of toasting.
3. Increase heat for water and sugar and let it reduce. Increase the heat and stir continuously semolina for 1 minute. Then remove it from heat and slowly pour the sugary water over it slowly while stirring semolina making sure the liquid is absorbed.

4. Put it back on the heat and stir it for another 5 minutes until it becomes pudding-like and the grains have absorbed the water.

5. Enjoy!! (It’s very nice with some custard)