RAVA KESARI RECIPE / KESARI BHATH RECIPE

      A Classic Indian sweet which originated from the South Indian state of Karnataka colloquially called as Kesari Bhath.  Maybe the name 'Kesari' would have been from the word Kesar/Saffron, a common term used for Saffron in India, which is the basic colour of this vibrant sweet.  Rava Kesari/Kesari Bhath, a sweet popular throughout India is prepared with Semolina/White Rava, Sugar, Ghee, Water/Milk. Though the quantity/ratio of the ingredient varies regionally, the basic ingredients remain the same.  It is called as Sheera/Suji Halwa in North India and the recipe is slightly different from that of Kesari Bhath.
     Rava Kesari is an easy recipe and the most frequented sweet at home.  A sting of Sweet Tooth or if you have to satiate your unexpected pang for a Snack/Tiffin, Rava Kesari comes for rescue.  This is one sweet which is not only served as a Dessert but even as a Tiffin/Breakfast.  A scoop of Rava Kesari is a must-have in a good spread of South Indian Breakfast.  During our recent trip of India, I & my son ordered mini Tiffin at Shree Annapoorna Gowrisankar, with the basic idea of gobbling all South Indian delicacies at a time.  To our dismay Rava Kesari vanished from our plates so quickly, the fact is that all of us(totally 8) shared the small portion of Rava Kesari.
     Rava Kesari is one sweet which finds no excuse to sneak into my kitchen. According to me Rava Kesari should be exactly like how Director/Actor Visu says in his Tamil Movie 'Samsaram Athu Minsaram' -  Rava Kesari should be so soft that, Ghee should drip out of the sweet and smoothly slide into your stomach the moment you keep it in your mouth, the way he says those words makes Rava Kesari so appetizing and all the more appealing.

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Cuisine - Karnataka, South India
Recipe Type - Sweet
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3 - 4
Author - SM  

Preparation Time - 5-10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes


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HOW TO MAKE RAVA KESARI RECIPE / KESARI BHATH

INGREDIENTS :

White Rava/Semolina - 1 Cup
Sugar - 11/2 Cups
Water - 21/2 Cups
Milk - 1 Cup
Ghee - 1/4 Cup
Cashew Nuts - 15-20 Nos.
Almonds/Pistachios - Few
Raisins - 15 - 20 Nos.
Cardamom - 5-6 Nos.
Saffron Strands - few
Yellow/Orange Food Colouring - a Pinch(Optional)

METHOD :

• Soak Saffron strands in few teaspoons of Milk/Water and keep it aside.
• Grind the Cardamom Pods with few teaspoons of Sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Heat 2 -3 Tbspns of Ghee in a Pan, roast Cashew nuts, Almonds/Pistachios & Raisins on a very low flame until Cashew nuts turn into light Golden Brown in Colour.
• Remove the Nuts and Raisins from the Ghee and keep it aside.
• Add few more teaspoons of Ghee to the same Pan and roast White Rava/Semolina on a very low flame.
• Roast the White Rava/Semolina until it turns aromatic, it will take approximately 5-7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, boil 21/2 Cups of Water in a separate Pan.
• Gradually pour the hot water to the roasted White Rava/Semolina.
• Stir continuously while pouring the hot water until the White Rava/Semolina absorbs the water and there are no lumps.
• Slowly pour in the Milk and mix well.
• Pour in the Saffron soaked liquid along with a pinch of Orange/Yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Once the White Rava/Semolina is cooked, add Sugar and mix well.
• Cook this mixture on a very low flame stirring continuously until the Sugar is well dissolved.
• Add Cardamom powder to the Rava Kesari and mix well.
• Add the remaining Ghee and stir continuously.
• Cook on a very low flame.
• Stir the Rava Kesari and mix it well all along, until the mix starts to separate from the pan.
• Finally, add the roasted Cashew Nuts, Almonds/Pistachios & Raisins to the Rava Kesari and give a quick stir.
• Serve Rava Kesari hot or at room temperature.
• Can serve it along with South Indian Breakfast items as a sweet or simply serve it as a dessert.

NOTES :

• Perfectly roasted Semolina yields perfectly textured Rava Kesari.
• Adjust the amount of Milk/Water to suit your preferred consistency.
• Adding the given amount of Ghee gives a soft texture to the Rava Kesari.
• Adjust the amount of Sugar to suit your preference.
• Adding artificial food colouring is truly optional
• The colour from Saffron will not yield you a vibrant coloured Rava Kesari.