Kesari Recipe | Rava Kesari

 Kesari recipe is a popular and delicious South Indian sweet made from rava (cream of wheat), sugar, ghee (clarified butter), saffron and dry fruits. This melt in the mouth orange-colored sweet is also known as Rava Kesari. It is made during festivals as well as during poojas or auspicious occasions or any celebrations in South India. Make this decadent luxurious sweet treat with my simple kesari recipe

In Hindi ‘rava’ is known as ‘sooji’ and in English as semolina or cream of wheat. The word kesari means orange color and in some instances also means saffron – which is called as kesar. Basically this sweet is a semolina pudding which is flavored with saffron and has an orange color. The main ingredients in kesari recipe are ghee, rava, sugar, water and saffron or orange food color.

Rava kesari’s North Indian counterpart is Suji ka Halwa which is also equally popular and tastes good. In Maharashtra and Gujarat this same dish is called as sheera. However, there are some variations in the preparations of sooji halwa, sheera and rava kesari.

In Karnataka rava kesari is known as kesari bhath. For breakfast, both khara bath (uppittu or upma) and Kesari Bath are served together and this combination is called as chow chow bath.The difference between rava kesari and suji halwa or sheera is the color. Also more amounts of ghee and sugar are used in a rava kesari as compared to sooji halwa or sheera. But the main difference is the color.

INGREDIENTS

 

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• ▢6 tbsp + ¼ cup ghee / clarified butter
• ▢30 cashews / kaju (halves)
• ▢3 tbsp raisins / kishmish / dry grapes
• ▢1.5 cup bombay rava / sooji / semolina (fine)
• ▢3 cup water
• ▢2.25 cup sugar (add ½-1 cup depending on your choice)
• ▢6 tbsp saffron water / kesari
• ▢0.75 tsp cardamom power / elachi powder

How to make

• firstly, heat 2 tbsp ghee / clarified butter and roast 10 cashews, 1 tbsp raisins on low flame.
• once the cashews turn golden brown, keep aside.
• now in the same ghee roast ½ cup bombay rava. use fine / coarse variety rava.
• roast on low flame for 5 minutes or till it turns aromatic. keep aside.
• in a large kadai boil 1 cup water.
• keeping the flame on low, add in ½ cup roasted bombay rava.
• stir continuously till the rava absorbs water and no lumps are formed.
• further add ¾ cup sugar (add ½-1 cup depending on sweetness you prefer).
• keeping the flame on low, stir well till the sugar dissolves.
• furthermore add 2 tbsp saffron water or kesari food colour. (soak few treads of saffron in 2 tbsp of warm water for 15 minutes)
• also and ¼ cup ghee and stir continuously.
• make sure the mixture is combined well and no lumps are present.
• cover and simmer for 2 minutes or till rava gets cooked well completely.
• additionally add roasted cashews, raisins and ¼ tsp cardamom power.
• mix well till the rava kesari separates from pan.
• finally, serve rava kesari / kesari bath as a dessert.