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How to make Soji… 3 ways

How to make Soji... 3 ways

I love the sweet comfort of this tasty dish made with semolina, milk and butter. Soji is essentially breakfast food transformed into something special when combined just right. The ‘just right’ being generous lashings of butter and sugar and the extravagance of saffron to take it to another level.

Soji is often made in large volumes and served at religious functions as a “niyaz” or offering after the prayers are completed or at weddings before or sometimes after the meal. I hardly ever make it myself, but I often end up with some in the fridge as a bounty from an event or a family function. But when the fridge is bare and the craving’s got me then I turn to my mother’s recipe. Her’s is simple and basic with no real extra’s unless you consider almonds an extra but which I consider a non negotiable. There are other ways of making it that include eggs and in some even cream. I will share my mom’s basic recipe and 2 other versions from my generous friends, Shaista Mohamed and Mossina Davids who were both kind enough let me share their recipes on my blog.

This first recipe is my mom’s. I don’t normally add sultanas but that’s just me. I’m one of those people that picks all the raisins out of the hot cross bun. But it does add to the flavour so please do if you have them.

Enjoy and please share your versions in the comments below.

How to make Soji... 3 ways
Soji

Ingredients
200g Butter
2 cups Tastee Wheat / Semolina
1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
handful sultanas
handful slivered almonds
6 cinnamon sticks
6 cardamon
pinch of saffron

Method
Put the saffron in about a tablespoon of just boiled hot water.
Melt butter on low heat. Add Taystee Wheat and braise stirring continuously until pinkish in colour.
Add milk and stir till it gets a little drier.
Add sugar over the top. Don’t mix. Close the lid and steam 5 minutes then stir through with the sultanas, nuts and saffron. Steam a few more minutes and serve.

How to make Soji... 3 ways

Shaaista’s Old fashioned Soji with Eggs

Ingredients
1/2 cup ghee or just over 125 g butter or margarine. Whichever you prefer. I eyeball it and add extra as or if I need
1/2 cup Tasty Wheat or semolina
1 cinnamon stick
Sugar as you prefer. Most people go for 1/2 cup
1/4 tsp fine elachi powder
Few strands saffron
2 cups milk
2 eggs
Few drops yellow colouring
Almonds and dessicated coconut
Nestle cream optional

Method
In a thick based pot, melt your ghee or butter or margarine and stir in your semolina and cinnamon stick slowly on low heat.
While this is browning under a watchful eye, whisk your milk, eggs and yellow colouring and set aside.
You will know when your semolina or tasty wheat is ready when the colour changes to a pinky hue and gives off a nutty fragrance.
At this point add in your sugar and elachi powder and stir well. Carefully add in the milky eggy mixture and stir to mix everything so there’s no lumps. Add in your saffron strands at this point.
This soji can be left to steam on a low flame covered on the stove or left to finish off in the oven.
Once the liquid has soaked into the soji, you can stir in some coconut and decorate with almonds and Nestle cream.
Option: Add your coconut with the milk and egg mixture and let them cook together.

Mossina’s Soji with Cream

Ingredients
500g butter or margarine.
500g semolina
2 cup sugar
2 cups water
2 cups milk
2 eggs
3 cinnamon sticks
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of saffron
1 tin Nestle dessert cream

Method
Melt butter on low heat with cinnamon sticks and cordamom pods.
Add semolina and braise stirring continuously until pinkish in colour.
Beat together eggs, milk and water. Add to semolina and stir together ensuring no lumps form.
Add sugar, saffron and cardomom powder. Allow to steam until all the liquid has soaked in and the mixture is slightly drier.
Add the nestle cream, stir through and serve.

You may also like my recipe for Khazura here. Another delicious treat made with Semolina.

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