PINEAPPLE KESARI - PINEAPPLE KESARIBHATH

     When you are in need of a quick Sweet/Dessert Kesari/Kesaribhath comes for the rescue.  Kesari is a popular sweet prepared in Indian households during festivals.  It is a simple dessert served in Marriage functions, festive Lunch/Breakfast Menus.  Colloquially called Kesari/Kesaribhath in South India and as Sheera/Halwa in North India. There are quite a number of variations to the same dish that it is converted into fancy and tasty delicacies by just adding few additions to the classic Kesari Recipe. Rava Kesari, Milk Kesari, Pineapple Kesari, Fruit Kesari, Aval/Poha Kesari, Broken Wheat Kesari, Vermicelli Kesari, Apple Kesari etc., & etc., The list gets longer with whims & fancies in converting the simple dessert into a delectable delicacy.
     "Pineapple Kesari / Pineapple Kesaribhath" is a recipe with a twist to all-time classic Kesaribhath/Rava Kesari, but the only difference is that this Pineapple Kesari is prepared by adding Pineapple Juice & Pineapple Cubes to the classic Rava Kesari Recipe.  But the addition of these ingredients converts the classic Rava Kesari into an aromatic treat. Some recipes even call for adding Pineapple Essence(Artificial flavourings).  But fresh Pineapple Juice gives a natural flavour and a wonderful aroma to this Pineapple Kesari.
    This Pineapple Kesari is a simple recipe prepared with roasted White Semolina/Rava, Sugar, Water, flavoured with Cardamoms & Saffron, garnished with Ghee roasted Cashew Nuts & Raisins.  The yellow/orange colour of this dish is due to the addition of Food colouring, though the recipe has Saffron in it, it doesn't give a bright hue to this Pineapple Kesari.  Perfectly roasted White Semolina/Rava yields perfectly textured Kesari.  Simply serve this Pineapple Kesari as a snack or when a pang of Sweet Tooth hits you.  It is also suitable to be served as a Naivedhyam/Prasadham.


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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 PINEAPPLE KESARI - PINEAPPLE KESARIBHATH

PINEAPPLE KESARI - PINEAPPLE KESARIBHATH

INGREDIENTS :

White Semolina/Rava - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 1/2 Cup
Pineapple Juice - 1/2 Cup
Pineapple Chunks - 1/4 Cup(Optional)
Water - 11/2 Cup
Ghee - 2-3 Tbspn
Cardamom - 3-4 Pods
Yellow/Orange Food Colouring - a Pinch
Saffron - few Strands
Cashew Nuts - Few
Raisins - Few
Salt - a Pinch.

METHOD:

• Soak Saffron strands in few teaspoons of Milk/Water and keep it aside.
• Extract some Pineapple juice from the Pineapple and keep it aside.
• Peel, Core & Cut the Pineapple and then finely chop the Pineapple into small Cubes. 
• Take 1/4 Cup of Pineapple Cubes & Sprinkle 3 Tbspns of Sugar to it and keep it aside for about 20-30 minutes.
• The Pineapple Cubes would have oozed out the juice. Drain the Cubes and retain the Juice.
• Just use about 1/2 a Cup of Pineapple Juice for the recipe.
• 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 & 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 Semolina/Rava on a very low flame.
• Roast the White Semolina/Rava until it turns aromatic, it will take approximately 5-7 minutes.
• Care should be taken while roasting the White Semolina/Rava.  The trick is to roast it without changing its colour.
• Meanwhile, boil the Water in a separate Pan.
• Gradually add the roasted White Semolina/Rava to the boiling water.
• Stir continuously while adding the White Semolina/Rava until it absorbs the water and there are no lumps.
• Pour in the Pineapple Juice and give a quick stir. 
• Add in the Pineapple Cubes and mix well.
• Pour in the Saffron soaked liquid along with a pinch of Orange/Yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Once the White Semolina/Rava & Pineapple pieces are cooked, add Sugar and a pinch of Salt, mix well.
• Cook this mixture on a very low flame stirring continuously until the Sugar is well dissolved.
• Add Cardamom powder to the Pineapple Kesari and mix well.
• Add the remaining Ghee and stir continuously.
• Cook on a very low flame.
• Stir the Pineapple Kesari and mix it well all along, until the Kesari starts to separate from the pan.
• Finally, add the roasted Cashew Nuts & Raisins to the Pineapple Kesari and give a quick stir.
• Serve Pineapple Kesari/ Pineapple Kesaribhath hot or at room temperature.
• Can serve it along with South Indian Breakfast items as a sweet or simply serve it as a dessert.
• Can also serve it as a Naivedhyam/Prasadham during festival seasons.

NOTES :

• Perfectly roasted White Semolina/Rava yields perfectly textured Pineapple Kesari.
• Care should be taken not to burn the White Semolina/Rava. Least to mention even the colour shouldn't change.
• Roast it on a very low flame, stirring and tossing it continuously.
• Adjust the amount of Water to suit your preferred consistency.
• Adding the given amount of Ghee gives a soft texture to the Pineapple 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 Pineapple Kesari.
• Can prepare the same recipe without adding Pineapple cubes.
• If you do not have fresh Pineapples, add Pineapple essence instead of Pineapple Juice. 
• Recipe prepared with fresh Pineapple Juice yields a better aroma.