Rava, also known as sooji, is a type of wheat widely utilized in Indian cooking. It is a versatile ingredient used in a variety of dishes, ranging from savory to sweet, and is popular not only in North India but also in South and West India. In this post of mine, I have shared a collection of some well-known and some unusual and unique Rava Recipes. With these 29 Sooji Recipes, your choices for breakfast, snacks as well as sweets are going to be sorted. Most of these recipes are also simple, perfect to be recreated at home and get done quickly too.
What is rava
Semolina or cream of wheat are the western terms for the Hindi word sooji as available in northern India. Sooji is popular as rava in the southern and western parts of India. It is basically a granulated by-product of wheat flour, from which even durum wheat is processed. Durum wheat is famously used to make different types of pasta and even couscous.
The origin of the word ‘semolina’ lies in Italian language, which literally translates to a milled four of durum wheat. Sooji or rava is a much-used ingredient in the Indian culinary scene. Everyone, from professional chefs and amateurs to home cooks use it to make (or bake) many dishes that may be sweet or savory.
Even the Rava Recipes in this post include the ones that you can prepare at home easily, and relish with loved ones. Not just Italy and India, this particular form of wheat is also popular in other countries. For instance, it is ‘irmik’ or ‘iri’ in Turkey, ‘simigdali,’ ‘chondro’ or ‘psilo’ in Greece and ‘samid’ in Arabic countries.
While there are many types of rava, the most common varieties include the coarse sooji and fine sooji. Going by what a recipe demands, you should choose the variety to get the desired result in a specific dish. In this compilation of 29 Sooji Recipes, I have mentioned which variety to use for what recipe.
30 Sooji Recipes
In North and West India, rava is used to make halwas, kheers, upmas and dhoklas. It is also added to bhatura and poori doughs. Whereas, in South India, it is used to make breakfast dishes like idlis, dosas, uttapams, kesaris, khichadis, pongals and upmas. There is a mix of sweet and salty dishes in my extensive list of Rava Recipes as well.
Apart from using sooji as a main ingredient in a recipe, you can also use it to coat patties and sliced vegetables while shallow frying. Some of the dishes in my 29 Suji Recipes selection demonstrate the same. For a fuss-free reading, I have divided this list in breakfast, snacks and sweets sections. Most of these recipes are hassle-free, quick and delicious too.
Breakfast Recipes
This section uses rava in recipes for upma, idli, dosa, uttapam, pongal, chilla, dhokla, dosa, kichadi and toast. When you are checking out the recipe of upma, you should also check these variations like Bread Upma, Oats Upma, Tomato Upma, Aval Upma, Idli Upma and Semiya Upma.
With the rava dosa, you can also create another version, which is this Onion Rava Dosa and also try the quintessential Dosa. And definitely don’t miss on this Coconut Chutney and Sambar to pair it with. Also, other than the regular rava uttapam, you should try the Oats Uttapam. Under pongal, there are the savory Ven Pongal and the Sweet Pongal that you shouldn’t miss too.
While trying the suji chilla, also don’t miss on the Besan Chilla, Moong Dal Chilla and super nutritious Oats Chilla. In the dhokla category, you must go for the Khaman Dhokla, Chana Dal Dhokla, White Dhokla and Moong Dal Dhokla along with the one made with rava.
Easy
30 minutes
Upma is a savory and flavorful South Indian breakfast made with cream of wheat (sooji or rava). It is also known as Rava upma. This upma recipe makes for a really delicious and tasty breakfast.
Moderate
47 minutes
Rava Idli are a quick, soft and fluffy idli variant that is made with rava or sooji or semolina, curd, spices and herbs. To leaven the batter, fruit salt (eno) or baking soda is used. Also referred to as Suji ki Idli, the recipe does not require any grinding or blending of the ingredients and fermentation.
Easy
30 minutes
Rava dosa is an easy crisp instant dosa made with semolina, rice flour, all-purpose flour and spices. This recipe does not require fermentation or grinding of rice or lentils. Make this easy vegan recipe for a truly crispy rava dosa.
Easy
45 minutes
These instant rava uttapam can be made plain or topped with vegetables like onions, tomatoes or mixed grated veggies like carrots or beets.
30 minutes
Rava Pongal is a healthy and delicious breakfast recipe of Pongal made with rava and moong dal.
Moderate
50 minutes
Suji ka Cheela or Rava Chilla is a popular North Indian style savory pancake made with suji or rava (cream of wheat), onions, herbs and spices. Makes for an easy breakfast or brunch.
Moderate
35 minutes
Rava dhokla is a soft, fluffy, steamed savory cake made from rava (suji or semolina or cream of wheat) together with herbs, spices, white sesame seeds and topped with coconut and coriander leaves
Moderate
30 minutes
This mtr style khara bath is a savory, smooth and soft khara bhath made with mix veggies.
Moderate
25 minutes
Easy to prepare toast with semolina, onion, tomato and cream filling.
Moderate
40 minutes
This healthy, instant recipe is that of an Oats Uttapam, which is an easy and nutritious way of making uttapams with oats, sooji or rava (cream of wheat), gram flour (besan) and some vegetables. The recipe is also vegan friendly.
Moderate
20 minutes
Rava kichadi is a South Indian breakfast dish made from fine rava or cream of wheat or sooji, cooked with vegetables, spices, herbs and ghee.
Snacks Recipes
This section has some really yummy, crunchy munchy and scrumptious snack options that may not have sooji as the main ingredient, but still worth a try. Some of these are regional favorites. For instance, shankarpali of Maharashtra, maddur vada of Karnataka and the awesome raj kachori chaat of North India. In fact, this particular chaat can be compared to a large Pani Puri stuffed with a variety of chaat essentials in it.
Also, while you’re at the paneer cutlet, check out these recipes for How To Make Paneer at home, Veg Cutlet as well as more of these Paneer Recipes.
Moderate
1 hour
Sweet shankarpali are crisp, flaky, melt in the mouth fried and baked biscuits. Shankarpali is a popular festive snack from Maharashtra.
Moderate
25 minutes
These Instant rava vada are crisp and tasty vada variant made with rava (sooji or cream of wheat), curd, onions, herbs and spices.
Moderate
30 minutes
Maddur vada are crisp fried patties popular as an evening snack in Karnataka. Maddur vade are made with a mix of rice flour, semolina, all purpose flour, onions and some herbs-spices.
Moderate
40 minutes
These Paneer cutlet are easy to prepare crisp cutlets made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese), mix vegetables, herbs and spices.
Moderate
1 hour 15 minutes
These are crispy fried sooji ke golgappe or puri for pani puri and used for making Indian street food snacks like pani poori, dahi poori, sev batata puri, puchka and ragda poori.
Moderate
35 minutes
Fried elephant foot yam, also known as suran, is a crispy spiced veggie dish made with simple, wholesome ingredients. It’s delicious for a snack or side, and pairs great with any Indian main course.
Moderate
35 minutes
Brinjal Fry or Fried Eggplant are crispy and delicious pan fried brinjal slices. These brinjal slices have nice sweetish tones and soft in texture from within and crisp from outside.
Moderate
40 minutes
Raj kachori also called as the king of all kachoris is a popular chaat snack from north India.
Sweets Recipes
This section has the much-celebrated North Indian halwas and South Indian kesaris. In addition to these, there are also other popular Indian sweets and desserts made with rava such as ladoo, kheer, Lord Ganesh’s favorite modak and a cake too.
So, when you are trying the ladoo, check this handy collection of other Ladoo Recipes; for more halwas, this Halwa Recipes collection is quite good; and for more mango specials, this Mango Recipes compilation is fab.
Also, you really can’t miss checking out and trying the most traditional type of modak, which is this Ukadiche Modak and more of some eggless, yet really delectable Cake Recipes.
Moderate
25 minutes
Rava Kesari is a popular South Indian pudding like sweet that is made with rava or suji (semolina), ghee, cashews, raisins, sugar, water and saffron. This Kesari recipe gives you a really delicious melt in the mouth sweet that can be made in less time.
Moderate
15 minutes
Suji ka halwa or Sheera is a classic Indian semolina pudding made with sugar, ghee and dry fruits. The recipe I have shared is a family heirloom recipe. We have been making this suji halwa recipe for decades during family get togethers, special occasions & festivals. The sooji halwa recipe can be easily halved, doubled or tripled.
Moderate
30 minutes
An easy peasy method to make Rava Laddu for Diwali or any festival. This Rava Ladoo also known as Suji ke Laddu are sweet balls made with rava (sooji or semolina), coconut, powdered sugar, dry fruits, nuts and ghee.
Moderate
20 minutes
Kesari Bath is a rich sweet made with rava (cream of wheat), sugar, nuts, saffron, water and ghee. This popular sweet from the Karnataka cuisine is quick and easy to prepare. It has rava (also called sooji or suji in Hindi and semolina or cream of wheat in English) as its main ingredient.
25 minutes
Fruit kesari is a rich South Indian sweet made with cream of wheat, mixed fruits and dry fruits.
Moderate
15 minutes
Pineapple Kesari also known as Pineapple Sheera or Pineapple Halwa is a delicious, melt in the mouth sweet made with rava or suji (semolina or cream of wheat), fresh pineapple, sugar, ghee and nuts.
Moderate
20 minutes
Suji ki Kheer or Rava Payasam is a quick, tasty and easy to prepare pudding made with semolina, milk, nuts and flavored with green cardamom powder.
Moderate
30 minutes
Rava Modak are sweet dumplings made with semolina and stuffed with coconut jaggery filling and flavored with cardamom powder.
Easy
50 minutes
This eggless rava cake or suji cake is a simple, easy one bowl delicious recipe of cake made with semolina, coconut, milk and flavorings.
Moderate
25 minutes
Mango Kesari (also known as Mango Sheera or Mango Halwa) is a variation of the very popular Kesari or Suji Halwa. Made with semolina or cream of wheat (rava/suji), this one is flavored with mango. It is smooth, silky and quite an easy recipe for keeps.
This Rava Recipes collection post from the archives (September 2016) has been updated and republished in March 2024.
