Rava Kesari is a yummy South Indian sweet recipe prepared instantly for occasions with Sooji rava(semolina-cream of wheat), sugar, ghee and natural saffron color.
Because of the simplicity of this recipe, this rava Kesari is like an everyday sweet in many homes. Unlike any other detailed sweet, you can make this rava Kesari in just 20minutes without much effort.
As you may be aware, there are so many varieties of Kesari available like whole-wheat Kesari, semiya Kesari, pineapple Kesari, etc…But according to me, this Rava Kesari is the best of all Kesari varieties. Simply a Kesari means it is rava Kesari.
In North India, they call this as Sooji halwa with mild modifications. In Karnataka, this Kesari bath is a breakfast item(or after breakfast dessert) along with rava upma. And this popular combo is called a Chow Chow bath.
Kesari as prasadham or dessert or breakfast:
The beautiful orange(kesari) color comes from the saffron strands or the natural saffron color. Kesari means the color of saffron. But many of us won’t stock saffron strands in our pantry and of course, we can use natural saffron/orange food color for making this Kesari bath.
My mom is an expert in making Rava Kesari in just ten minutes…Guess what’s her motivation … It’s my younger brother’s favorite sweet…
Furthermore, you can offer this Kesari bath or Sooji halwa as a prasadam to God on auspicious occasions and fasting days. This versatile sweet when done with mild sweetness, acts as breakfast for kids in our homes during active holidays.
Rava Kesari / Kesari bath / Sooji halwa
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Rava kesari recipe | How to make Rava kesari
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rava (semolina/sooji)
- 1.5 cups Sugar (1.25 or 1.75C as per taste)
- 2.5 cups water
- 6-8 tbsp ghee
- 2 tbsp cashews
- 2 tbsp dry grapes
- 2 pinch orange/saffron food color
- 2 Saffron strands (optional)
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Instructions
Recipe:
- Heat a tbsp of ghee, roast 2 tbsp of cashews and dry grapes to golden brown color. Collect in a separate cup and keep this aside.
- In the same pan, again add 3 tbsp ghee and heat.
- Add 1 cup of fine rava/semolina/sooji and roast in medium heat.
- Fry continuously for around 5 to 7 minutes until you get a nice aroma from the rava. By this time the rava will become light brown in color.
- In the meantime time, heat two and a half cup of water. Use the same measuring cup.
- When the water is coming to a full boiling stage, add the roasted rava gradually and mix very quickly.
- Mixing quickly and continuously in medium heat is a very important step.
- If the water is not boiling hot or if you don't mix quickly, rava may get lumps.
- Mix well in such a way that there are no lumps.
- Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook the sooji for 3-5 mins.
- Open the lid and check the doneness by pressing with fingers.
- If the rava is soft that means it's cooked.
- Now add 1.5 cups of sugar and mix well. Increase or reduce the amount of sugar as per taste. For me,1.5 cups of sugar for 1 cup of rava gives perfect sweetness.
- Initially while adding sugar crystals the mixture may look like forming lumps.
- But don't bother, while mixing continuously the sugar melts and becomes gooey.
- Continue to mix in low heat for two minutes.
- If using kesari/saffron strands(soaked in warm water for 20mins) add at this stage. For those who don't have saffron, add natural saffron/orange food color, a pinch mixed in a tsp of water.
- Add the remaining ghee now with fried cashews, dry grapes and cardamom powder.
- Mix everything together finally and switch off.
- Yummy, melting in the mouth, rava kesari is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
How to make Rava Kesari in 15mins:
- Heat a tbsp of ghee, roast 2tbsp of cashews and dry grapes to golden brown color. Collect in a separate cup and keep this aside.
- In the same pan, again add 3 tbsp ghee and heat.
- Add 1 cup of fine rava/semolina and roast in medium heat.
- Fry continuously for around 5 to 7 minutes until you get a nice aroma from the rava. By this time the rava will become light brown in color.
- In the meantime time, heat two and a half cup(in the same cup used for rava) of water.
- When the water is coming to a full boiling stage, add the roasted rava gradually and mix very quickly.
How to make lump-free sooji halwa:
- Mixing quickly and continuously in medium heat is a very important step.
- If the water is not boiling hot or if you don’t mix quickly, rava may get lumps.
- Mix well in such a way that there are no lumps. In a few minutes, the rava gets thickened.
- Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook the sooji for 3-5 mins.
- Open the lid and check the doneness by pressing with fingers.
- If the rava is soft that means it’s cooked.
- Now add 1.5 cups of sugar and mix. Increase or reduce the amount of sugar as per taste. For me, 1.5 cups of sugar for 1 cup of rava serves good and perfect. Always try to use the same measuring cup for measuring rava, water and sugar.
- Initially while adding sugar crystals the mixture may look like forming lumps. But don’t bother, while mixing continuously the sugar melts and becomes gooey.
- Continue to mix in low heat for two minutes. Soon the rava absorbs all the sugar.
- If using Kesari/saffron strands(soaked in warm water for 20mins) add at this stage. For those who don’t have saffron, add natural saffron/orange food color, a pinch mixed in a tsp of water.
- Add the remaining ghee now with fried cashews, dry grapes and cardamom powder.
- Mix everything together finally and switch off.
- Yummy, melting in the mouth, rava Kesari is ready to serve.
Tips:
1) First of all, to get a soft and smooth kesari, the water rava kesari ratio should be perfect. Most of the sooji rava varieties get cooked in a 1:2.5 rava: water ratio. If you want too soft rava kesari you can use a 1:3 ratio.
2) Next to get a perfect textured kesari ghee is an important ingredient. Roasting the raw rava in ghee is a must.
3) Lastly, Bombay rava or fine sooji is the best choice for making this sweet Rava Kesari.
4) Increase or reduce the amount of sugar as per taste. 1:1 ratio(rava: sugar) is for mild sweet, 1:1.5 ratio for perfect sweetness. Some add 2 cups sugar for 1 cup rava which may become over sweet. Decide based on the sugar type available in your place.
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