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What is Sooji or Rawa in Indian Food?

Sooji, or suji (pronounced soo-jee), and rawa (pronounced ruh-waa) are Hindi words for granulated wheat, otherwise known as semolina. All are from the same powder or flour that is made from wheat. 

All in a Name

Sooji is the word used for semolina in North India and Pakistan. Rawa is the name for semolina in South India. The ingredient is not only used as a batter ingredient in many Indian dishes, but it is also used as the main ingredient in numerous foods, both sweet and savory, like upma and rawa laddoo.

For batters, a fine version of sooji is used, whereas when it is the main ingredient, it is used in a more coarse form.

Rawa, sometimes called rava, is best known as an ingredient in rawa laddoo, a popular Indian sweet which is prepared on festivals like Diwali, Sri Krishna Jayanti, and Ganesh Chaturthi. Sooji ka halwa is another Indian-inspired dessert that has a pudding-like texture. It is made with many ingredients including lentils, veggies, fruits, and grains. Rawa is used to make idlis, rava dosa, and uttapam, common foods in South India.

Technically, semolina, as you probably know it, is the coarsely purified wheat middlings of durum wheat. In India, it may be described as the residue of milled material, after the flour is grounded in a flour mill (chakki). It is passed through a fine mesh until the flour and semolina are separated.

Common Recipes

No matter what you call it, semolina is a versatile ingredient that you may use in dishes such as upma, a breakfast favorite. Vegans might use this form of wheat to lend some substance to a spicy daal. If you want to satisfy your hunger with something simple, add semolina to flour, mix in a few ingredients for flavor, and serve up the delectable crackers known as mathri. For a more elaborate repast, invite your friends over and impress them by serving prawns rawa fry.