By Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

On Nov. 12, more than a billion people around the world will celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights.  

This Hindu holiday started thousands of years ago in India. This fun-filled event lasts for five days with homes decorated with lamps and sand paintings and people exchanging sweets. Diwali comes after the harvest, so it is also a celebration of the bounty of nature. The holiday is based on a Hindu Lunar calendar and therefore each year Diwali falls on a different date in the U.S. 

Many of the sweets prepared for Diwali are too rich for me and they are time consuming to prepare. Most of them are loaded with sugar, ghee (clarified butter) and cream. One simple sweet my mother made on Diwali morning has left me with deep and fond memories. It is called Sheera – also known as simple Halwa in some parts of India. Sheera is often served as prasadam (gods leftovers) to the attendees of Hindu temples after a worship ceremony.  

Sheera is quick and simple, and it is nutritionally so virtuous that I have served it to my kids as a breakfast on special occasions. The main ingredient for sheera is cream of wheat or rice, both good as breakfast grains. A cup of cooked cream of wheat contains almost 3 grams of protein and a good amount of iron, potassium and calcium. The same amount of cream of rice contains 2 grams of protein and it is an excellent source of iron. The addition of almonds to sheera provides a fair amount of protein and a good amount of vitamin E. Raisins added to this recipe offer a specific type of protein containing anti-inflammatory properties which aids digestion.

3 cups hot water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan spread 
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup slivered almonds or chopped cashews 
1 cup cream of rice or cream of wheat cereal 
¼ cup sugar or honey
½ teaspoon ground cardamom 

Heat the water in a sauce pan and keep it hot while working on the next step.   

Next, heat the butter or vegan spread in a frying pan over a low temperature, add the raisin and nuts.  Sautee them for two minutes and then remove from the pan and set them aside. Using the same pan, add the remainder of butter (or its vegan alternative). Add the cream of rice or the cream of wheat and raise the heat to a moderate temperature and sauté the cream of rice or wheat with a wooden spoon for about 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture changes to a golden color, adjusting the heat so that it does not burn. Then, add the hot water and continue to stir for a minute breaking the lumps.  Add the nuts and raisin mixture, sugar or honey, and cardamom. Continue to stir to mix all of the ingredients and to evaporate the liquid. Then, cover the sheera for a few minutes. Next, transfer the sheera onto a serving platter and form it into a mold or any shape you like. Decorate with edible flowers or their pedals, if you wish. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Sheera can be served as a treat for a holiday, as a light dessert or even for breakfast.

Serve one cup of sheera to each diner in small dessert bowls or dishes. 

Makes 6 to 8 servings.