Semolina Pudding is a quick and easy dessert which makes a common appearance in our home because this orange-flavored cream of wheat porridge tastes amazing with it's comforting familiar flavors.
This is a very classic Austrian/German semolina pudding recipe and you can find the how-to further below.
I also explain the difference between Semolina vs Cream of Wheat vs Farina vs Sooji and if semolina pudding can be counted as healthy.
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Semolina pudding was always there during my childhood.
My mum would make it frequently from scratch in different variations.
The most common version was the plain semolina pudding or the one with caramel at the bottom.
In time, I started to appreciate the Semolina pudding with candied fruit bits.
Some of you might call them tutti fruttis.
The most common candied fruit variations are the candied orange peel, cherry, and lemon peel.
Those are very common in central Europe and not too expensive as well.
At some point, however, I got into making my own candied fruits.
I have tried amla candied fruits and orange candied fruit peel.
My mum made some the other day with kumquats, which turned out great too.
The best fruits to turn into candied fruits are the sour citrus kind and those can be used in cakes, puddings, cookies (such as the Elisenlebkuchen) amongst others.
These days I tend to just add candied fruits in porridges, as in today's semolina pudding.
What is Semolina and what's the difference between Semolina, Cream of Wheat vs Farina vs Sooji.
Semolina is coarsely ground cereals.
The most common semolina is made of wheat, however other variations exist as well with oats, barley, and corn.
Yellow corn semolina is better known as polenta in Europe and the white corn variety, aka grits is more common in North America.
However, when we say Semolina we usually always think of wheat semolina.
The best way to understand the difference between semolina va cream of wheat vs farina vs rava vs sooji is by taking a look at the varieties in central Europe.
If you go to buy semolina in Austria or Germany, you would get two types of Semolina.
One is the so-called soft wheat semolina (or just semolina) and the second the hard wheat semolina.
Translated that would be Weichweizengrieß (soft semolina) and Hartweizengrieß (hard semolina/durum wheat).
Grieß/Griess means Semolina.
Soft Wheat Semolina...
... is more finely ground, cooks to a velvety consistency.
It's most commonly used to make baby food or simply said, porridge/pudding.
Soft Wheat Semolina is also known as Cream of Wheat!
Hard Wheat Semolina...
...is harder more coarsely ground, you call it also Durum Wheat Semolina.
This Semolina variation is more commonly used to make pasta, dumplings or couscous.
To summarize the big Semolina confusion:
- Semolina is made of coarsely ground cereals. Can be wheat, oats, barley or other grains.
- Cream of wheat is apparently the same as farina in the US (just different brand names) and the same as soft wheat semolina or Weichweizengrieß in German.
- Farina anywhere else in this world is not semolina but the Latin/Italian word for flour meal
- Rava/Rawa and Soji/Sooji are the same things, it's semolina in general. In South India Semolina is known as Rava in north India they call semolina Sooji.
Did I miss something?
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Is Semolina Cream of Wheat healthy and good for me?
Semolina is coarsely ground wheat and it is lower in calories but higher in proteins.
Prepared as a porridge it's a filling dish and your stomach will digest slowly, giving you for a much longer time the feeling that you are full.
That means you don't need to eat so soon again.
But again this is a Gluten rich food that means it's not for you if you are suffering from celiac disease or if you have embraced a gluten-free diet.
To make semolina pudding healthier you can skip the sugar and butter in this recipe to reduce the number of saturated fats and sugar carbs.
If you don't want to compromise on taste, stick to the recipe.
AND for all the health-conscious sweet teeth out there -> Healthy Peanutbutter cups by fitfoodiefinds.com
Recipes like the Semolina Pudding:
Dear Reader, how do you like your Semolina Pudding?
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Semolina Pudding with Orange Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Milk
- ¾ cup Cream of wheat aka soft wheat semolina
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 12 piece Candied orange peel homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a sauce pan and let it heat up gradually. Then add the Semolina and Sugar and whisk the content while it's getting more and more cooked.
- Continue by adding the butter and orange candy too and keep on whisking while the content starts to cook more and more. By whisking you prevent lumps to form and that the semolina gets burned at the bottom of the sauce pan.
- Make sure to keep on whisking while the sauce pan remains on medium to low heat. The content will start to thicken slowly. Once the semolina pudding is bubbling and has reached a thick consistency, you know that it's ready.
- Keep small bowl/pots or ramekin ready and pour the semolina pudding into them.
- Let the pudding pots cool. I like my pudding cold. 🙂
Notes
- You can leave out the orange candy to make a plain semolina pudding or you can add other flavoring agents such as vanilla or cocoa or add some caramel into the ramekin pots before pouring the still hot semolina pudding.
