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4 Mins delivery
Rava Kesari
Serves 4
20 mins
350 Kcal
Rava Kesari is a bright orange-coloured South Indian sweet known for its rich texture and delightful sweetness. It is a preparation involving rava, ghee, sugar, and cardamom flavour. It is usually prepared during festivals, celebrations, or as a special offering during religious ceremonies. It resembles other Indian sweets like sooji halwa from the North or Kesari bath from Karnataka. The most essential ingredient in the dish is rava, known as suji. It is roasted in ghee for the nutty aroma. Roasting is quite essential so as not to make lumps and ensure that it is creamy when cooked. Water is added to the roasted rava to be cooked until all moisture is absorbed, making the sooji soft. Next, sugar is added, thereby giving the dessert its prime sweetness. While preparing the dish at this stage, orange or saffron food is added to the mix, giving it its characteristic vivid colour. The name itself, "Kesari", comes from "Kesar," the Hindi word for saffron, although in most versions, saffron is optional. The flavour of the dish is enhanced with the addition of cardamom powder that infuses the dish with a warm, sweet, spicy flavour. Fried cashews and raisins, toasted in ghee, are usually added to the Rava Kesari to provide that extra dash of richness and crunch. They add texture to the tender, velvety rava base. It is one of those desserts that has been designed to be put together in minutes, but the preparation and assembly make it feel rich and indulgent. They are typically served as a sweet finishing touch to any festive meal when served as a delightful combination of warmth and sweetness associated with richness and buttery flavours.
Ingredients required for Rava Kesari
- 1 cup sooji
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 pinch saffron strands
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 10-12 cashews
- 10-12 raisins
Cooking steps for Rava Kesari
- 1Gather all your ingredients for this Rava Kesari recipe, like 1 cup sooji or semolina, 1.5 cups water, 1 cup sugar, cardamom powder, saffron strands, ghee, cashews, and raisins.
- 2If you like more colour in your food, you can also prepare a few drops of food colour for this delightful recipe of rava kesari. Dry roast 1 cup of sooji in a pan over low flame for about 5-7 minutes.
- 3Stir continuously to avoid burning. At this stage, the sooji should be a light golden brown and have a nutty aroma. That is how it needs to be roasted.
- 4Transfer the roasted sooji to a plate or bowl, then let it cool down. This helps prevent further cooking and preserve the flavour of the sooji.
- 5Place 1.5 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar in the same pan. Mix the sugar with water well and stir so that the sugar starts to dissolve.
- 6Now boil the sugar and water mixture over a medium flame. Stir it constantly till the sugar dissolves completely, leaving behind clean syrup. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
- 7After the sugar dissolves, add a pinch of saffron strands and 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom powder in sugar syrup. Mix it well to infuse the flavours, thus enhancing the aroma and the taste of the kesari.
- 8Gradually add the roasted sooji to the sugar syrup. It is important to do this slow stir well so that no lumps are formed, which ensures an equal consistency in the dish.
- 9Keep on low flame for 3-4 minutes. Stir continuously till sooji absorbs the syrup and thickens smooth and creamy. In another small pan, heat 1/4 cup of ghee over medium. When the ghee gets hot, pour 10–12 cashews into the pan and fry until they get red-brown. Add 10–12 raisins to the pan and fry until it puffs up. It gives a very rich flavour and texture to the Kesari. Mix everything.
- 10Once the cashews and raisins have softened, add them to the cooked sooji mixture along with the ghee. Mix well so the nuts are evenly distributed all over the Kesari.
- 11Cook Rava Kesari for 2-3 minutes on low flame. You need to stir occasionally so it doesn't stick and get to that thick, sticky halwa consistency. Once cooked, remove the flame and let it rest for a while so all the ingredients will sit well together. This will let all the flavours mingle with each other, and it will yield an extremely better taste. Once it has rested, you can serve Rava Kesari warm or even at room temperature. Some folks garnish it with nuts, while others will end it with a sprinkle of cardamom powder as a finishing touch. This sweet dish is relished as a dessert after meals and at festivals. You will love it for its immense richness of flavour and the satisfaction in its texture.
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FAQs
What is Rava Kesari?
Rava Kesari, most commonly known as Kesari or Sheera, is an old South Indian sweet made by utilising semolina, sugar, and ghee. The flavour and garnishing of cardamom along with the nuts, cashews, and almonds may be used. This dish also has an orange-like hue due to the saffron and food colour that are mixed in it. Rava Kesari is mostly prepared as a dessert or during festivals.
How is Rava Kesari prepared?
Rava Kesari's preparation is straightforward. Semolina is roasted in ghee until it browns and emits a nutty smell. Then, water, and later sugar, is added to the ghee and stirred until it thickens. This is then seasoned with cardamom powder and nuts for additional flavour as well as texture. You can even add fruits like pineapple or mango to your Rava Kesari or adjust sweetness according to one's preference.
Is Rava Kesari healthy?
Though tasty, Rava Kesari should not be consumed every day because it has loads of calories from ghee and sugar. Semolina is good in that it provides carbohydrates and some protein. You can reduce the sugar content or replace white semolina with whole grain semolina and add fruits to add vitamins and minerals to this dish. Enjoy it as an infrequent treat rather than including it in your everyday diet.