Kesari

in Desserts, Sweets

This humble sweet is made in a jiffy for unexpected guests or as an offering to God (prasadam) or as a dessert for the family. You can never go wrong with this sweet and it can be made easily with available ingredients in your pantry. Try this easy drool worthy sweet.

Recipe from COOK and SEE PART 1 (SAMAITHU PAAR).

Ingredients

  • Semolina/Rava – 2 cups,
  • Sugar – 2 ½ cups,
  • Ghee – 1½ cup,
  •  Water – 2 to 4 cups,
  • Cardamom powder – ½ teaspoons,
  • Raisins – 7 to 8,
  • Cashew Nuts – 10 to 12 ,
  • Pachaikarpooram (edible camphor ) one pinch ( optional)
  • Saffron (optional) few strands .

Method

  1. If using saffron, add 1 tablespoon of milk and keep aside. Make fresh ghee from butter for use or warm the store bought ghee a little to liquefy.
  2. In a deep thick pan or a kadai , heat a tablespoon of ghee and shallow fry the cashew nuts till brown. Remove and keep aside.
  3. Fry the raisins too in the same ghee till they puff up. Keep aside.
  4. Heat half cup of ghee, add semolina and fry till it turns golden brown.
  5.  Add water slowly into the  and mix well.
  6. Keep on turning the mass until it is cooked well. Sometimes you may require additional water, so keep extra water ready.
  7. When the Rava is cooked soft,  add sugar and give a stir to the mixture. The mixture will be watery now, stir until it thickens.
  8. Add rest of the ghee and mix well. Keep on stirring all the time until the ghee is absorbed and the kesari leaves the sides of the vessel.
  9. Add the cardamom powder, pachaikarpooram, fried nuts and raisins.
  10. Glistening kesari is ready to devour. Serve this hot.
  11. This sweet will remain unspoiled for two to three days if kept in refrigerator.

Note

  1. The sugar in this recipe can be replaced with brown sugar. The amount of sugar can be increased  or decreased according to  one’s taste.
  2. See to that the Kesari is cooked in low heat. Milk can be used too instead of water, using milk in the recipe give the kesari more richness in taste and flavour.
  3.  Colour can be added if required. If you are using one, use a branded stuff. While adding color to prevent patchiness, mix the colour in a tablespoon of water and add to hot kesari.
  4. Avoid it completely if you are offering to young children or elderly.
  5. To cook the semolina faster , one can  add hot water to the semolina , instead of plain water .