Celebrity square meals: Monica Ali's heavenly halwa

Halwa was originally a royal sweet dating from 18th-century Mughal India. Today it is a traditional sweet dish eaten throughout India and Bangladesh. It is usually served hot, although it can be served cold in summer.

It is eaten with chapatis, parathas or loochis, usually for breakfast - though I only eat it as a pudding or a snack.

Don't worry if you remember horrible semolina puddings from school days and think that you loathe the stuff. Halwa is a different proposition altogether.

200ml water
150g Fairtrade sugar
5 cardamoms, opened
100g coarse semolina
50g butter
25g golden sultanas, washed and soaked
25g roasted sliced almonds

Pour the water into a pan along with the sugar and cardamoms and bring to the boil. Gently simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat and reserve.

Meanwhile, dry fry the semolina in a heavy pan, stirring continuously until the semolina is a golden brown. Add the butter to the pan and keep stirring on a low heat for about 5 minutes.

To the semolina, add the sugared water, sultanas and nuts and cook together until the semolina thickens.

Turn down the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. The semolina by this stage should have a thick, grainy texture. If the halwa is too thick, add a little more water. If it is too runny, continue to cook it a little longer.

Monica Ali is the author of 'Brick Lane'. This recipe is from 'A Fair Feast' (Simon & Schuster, £9.99), the proceeds of which go to Oxfam and the Fairtrade Foundation