Suji ki Tukdi or Suji Katli is a candy made with semolina that is chewy with a light crunch to it. It’s prepared by combining sugar syrup with roasted semolina (suji) and chopped nuts and coconut that give it a distinct flavor.
Suji Tudki are not too popular in Pakistan and I have only ever had them when my late grandmother made them for me and my sisters. To date, my siblings and I call them Nano’s Suji Tukdi. There was so much love and care with which she made these and each time I prepare them in my kitchen, I am reminded of my childhood –my sisters and I at the heels of my nano as she swiftly poured the sugar syrup into the roasted suji, cautioning us girls that once you add the syrup, you have to work fast to pour the suji mix into the serving plate or else the suji will set straight in the saucepan.
Follow this recipe and you’ll have yourself the most perfect chewy yet crisp Suji Tukdi.
Suji Tukdi/Katli
Ingredients
Roasted Semolina
- 1/4 cup ghee or butter
- 1 cup fine semolina (suji)
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts and toasted coconuts coconuts are important for the right flavor but you can use any nuts you like
Sugar Syrup
- 2 tsp ghee or butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/4 tsp rosewater
- 1/8 tsp yellow food color powder colors are recommended
Instructions
- Melt ghee/butter in a pan and roast suji on low heat for 20 mins or until it smells nutty and turns light brown then add the nuts and turn off the stove.
- Once Suji has roasted, in a separate saucepan, dissolve sugar in water + cardamom powder and let it come to a boil till it reaches just about a one-thread consistency (this will happen VERY quickly once the syrup comes to a boil.) Once it starts to boil, add rosewater and yellow food color. Let the syrup continue to boil for no more than 10 seconds and then pour into the suji.
- If you are letting the suji set in the same pan, then quickly work to flatten it and smooth the top with the help of a rubber or wooden spatula. If you are using another serving tray, you will have to work VERY fast. As soon as you pour in the syrup, quickly mix it with the suji and then dump into the serving tray and flatten quickly.
- Top with more nuts and press gently. The suji will have already firmed up. If its still a bit wet, don't worry. It will set in the next 20 mins. Score the suji all the way through by running perpendicular lines in the shape of diamonds.
- Once fully set, slice a spatula under them and separate the Suji Tukdi very gently.
Notes
- I find that for Suji Tukdi, a wooden spatula is best but you can also use a silicone spatula.
- Make sure you DO NOT boil the syrup for too long because a thicker syrup will harden the tukdiyaan and make them tougher to bite into. Of course if you want a crunchy candy, then by all means you can boil the syrup up to two-thread consistency which would be more or less the soft to hard ball stage.
