of Halva and Hafla

I have been researching sooji halva (otherwise, semolina pudding). Recipes are easy to come by, and most go by the ratio of 1:1:1:4 of butter:semolina:sugar:liquid. All sources say the dessert is good eaten cold or warm.

Most people prefer cold desserts to warm, especially with our climate. Take heed that the sooji halva made from the above recipe will set into a very thick unattractive and unappetizing gooey lump. After numerous unglorious tries, I find the best proportion is 1:1:1:8. For a dressier version, I'd skip the sugar, and make a syrup (lemon-, rosewater- or vanilla-flavoured) for adding to individual taste at time of serving.

This simple-to-make dessert was a big hit at dinner parties over the Deepavali weekend :)

Elsewhere, Belinda's tribal themed hafla was a big hit with the crowd. The performers put in a lot of effort to prepare for this.



The use of fire in their dance upped the spectaculo-quotient several notches. I feel like we celebrated the festival of lights in our own way:)

p.s. The next hafla by Belinda at Blu Jaz will be on Sunday, November 9.

p.p.s. November 9 date for hafla is cancelled. For updates, please check here.