KESARI / SOOJI HALWA

Rava Kesari (Semolina kesari)...........that too, hot........I can see everyone drooling.....and I have not added any artificial food colours.....which are hazardous to health......a perfect sweet or dessert for a South Indian breakfast... This measurement yields a small bowl of Kesari, enough for 3-4 small servings.

In the South, it is called Kesari, in the North it is Sooji Halwa and in Shirdi, it is Sheera.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rava, roasted to golden colour in ghee

Few strands of saffron soaked in 3 tbsps hot milk

Raisins - a few

Broken cashews -  a few

water - 11/2 cup

sugar - 3/4 

Ghee - 10 - 12 tsps

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Recipe Cuisine: Indian; Category: Sweets

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 15 mts

Serves 6

Soak the saffron in the hot milk. This lends beautiful natural colour to the Kesari.

                             In 2 tsps ghee, roast the raisins. Remove them. Roast the cashews too.

                            In the same ghee, roast the rava to a golden colour, when a nice aroma arises.

                                 
                                                 Ghee roasted cashews and raisins

       
Boil the measured water in the pan. . I always don't add water to rava/semolina, since there are chances of lumps forming. So, remove the roasted semolina in a pan,,.......

To the measured water, add the saffron strands well soaked in milk and the cardamom powder

                             Then to this, add the roasted rava, constantly stirring always. I always prefer doing like this. If we add hot water to the rava, at times, there are chances of small lumps forming, however well we stir. Adding rava to boiling water, is lump-free.

                                        It will get cooked very fast. Add 2 tsps of ghee also.

Now, add the measured sugar.

                                Keep on stirring, first it will become watery. Don't panic.

It will become thick gradually.

               Add the roasted cashews and raisins, reserving some for decoration in the end.

It will start leaving the sides, and that is the perfect time to switch off!

Here is the natural saffron coloured , steaming hot, Kesari / Sooji Halwa/ Sheera ready!!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

*Never pour water to roasted semolina. Always remember to gently add the rava into the boiling      water.
* Try avoiding artificial food colours, which are really really harmful.
* Can also be set into small diamond shaped slabs, by pouring the Kesari  into a well greased plate, then allowing it to cool down and make slices.

Categories: Festival Delicacies, Indian sweets, Janmashtami neivedhyams, Navarathri Neivedhyams