Kesari Recipe | Rava Kesari
User Reviews
4.9
Kesari Recipe | Rava Kesari
Description
The Kesari recipe starts by frying cashews until golden and plump raisins in clarified butter (ghee) to bring out their sweetness and texture. Then finely textured rava (semolina) is roasted slowly in the ghee, stirring frequently until aromatic and lightly colored but not browned, which takes roughly 9 to 11 minutes.
A syrup is prepared by dissolving sugar in water or milk, infused with saffron strands and optionally orange extract for color and fragrance. The saffron lends a distinctive warm aroma and yellow-orange hue. This syrup is added to the roasted rava and cooked together to absorb the liquid and sugars, blending the flavors. Cardamom powder and a pinch of edible camphor add traditional seasoning.
The final dish is rich and flavorful with a smooth, moist consistency and bursts of texture from the nuts and raisins. It can be served warm or at room temperature, making it suitable for festive occasions or as a comforting dessert.
Adjustments such as using milk or a mixture of milk and water can enhance richness, and the amount of ghee or sugar can be altered to personal preference. Roasting the rava properly is essential to avoid graininess and achieve the characteristic texture.
Ingredients
For frying cashews, raisins and rava
- 6 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons cashews
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1 cup rava - finer textured, 160 grams, (sooji or semolina or cream of wheat)
For sugar solution
- ¾ to 1 cup sugar or as add required - 190 to 200 grams
- 2.5 cups water or milk
- 2 to 3 pinches saffron about 20 to 30 saffron strands, strands
- 2 to 3 drops orange extract optional, natural color
Other ingredients
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- 1 pinch edible camphor - optional
Instructions
Frying cashews and raisins
- In a heavy kadai or a thick bottomed pan take 6 tablespoons ghee. Heat ghee on a medium-low flame till it melts completely.
- Add the cashews.
- Begin to fry cashews stirring them often till they become golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep fried cashews aside.
- Next add the raisins to the hot ghee.
- Stirring non-stop fry the raisins till they become plump and swell.
- Remove them and keep aside with the fried cashews.
Roasting rava
- Now reduce heat to a low and add the fine rava to the ghee. Mix well.
- Begin to roast rava on a low to medium-low heat.
- Stir frequently while roasting rava for even cooking.
- Roast till you can see the ghee getting separated and the color of rava will also change. A nice aroma will also emanate from the roasted rava.
- The color of the rava should not become brown.
- Roasting rava takes about 9 to 11 minutes on low to medium-low heat. But do note that the timing will vary with the type and make of the kadai or pan and the heat intensity.
Making sugar syrup
- When you begin to roast rava, at that time take the sugar in a saucepan. I added ¾ cup sugar.
- Add 2 to 3 pinches of saffron strands. You can also add a natural yellow or orange color extract. I also added 2 drops of natural orange color extract.
- Add 2.5 cups water.
- Keep the pan on stovetop and on a medium to medium-high flame begin to heat the sugar solution.
- When you keep the pan on the stove-top for heating, at that time stir with a spoon so that all the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring this sugar solution to a rolling boil.
Making rava kesari
- By the time the sugar solution starts boiling, the rava will also get roasted well.
- Lower the heat and now carefully pour the sugar-saffron solution in the well roasted ghee-rava mixture in a steady stream and slowly.
- Take care while pouring as the mixture splutters.
- Stir and mix very well. Break lumps, if any while mixing.
- Cook rava kesari mixture on a low to medium-low heat stirring often.
- The rava or sooji will absorb the water and swell and the mixture will begin to thicken.
- When the mixture starts thickening, add the fried cashews and raisins reserving a few for garnish.
- Also add the green cardamom powder. At this step you can also add a pinch of edible camphor if you want. Mix very well.
- Stir till the mixture releases some ghee and the rava has absorbed all the water and cooked well.
- Then turn off the heat and cover the pan for 5 minutes just to allow the rava kesari to steam.
- After five minutes, remove the lid. Stir rava kesari. If you want to make slices, then immediately pour it in a steel pan or tray. Spread evenly and when warm or cooled, cut into diamond shaped or square slices.
- Serve rava kesari hot or warm. You can also serve it as a side sweet dish with a South Indian lunch or dinner.
Notes
- Roast rava thoroughly for best texture and aroma, avoiding browning.
- For richer taste, substitute some or all water with milk in the sugar syrup.
- Adjust sugar and ghee quantities to taste and batch size.
- Use finer rava for a smoother pudding; coarse rava may require more water.
- Traditionally only cashews and raisins are added, but other nuts can be included as preferred.
- For a vegan version, replace ghee with a neutral oil.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 368 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 368kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 49g | 16% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 38mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 8mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 118mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 27g | 54% |
| Vitamin A | 2IU | 0% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 0.2mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.2mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 2mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin C | 0.4mg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin K | 2µg | |
| Calcium | 15mg | 2% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 53µg | |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
| Magnesium | 31mg | 8% |
| Phosphorus | 72mg | |
| Zinc | 1mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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