rava kesari recipe with step by step photos.

rava kesari is a popular south indian sweet made

from semolina during the festive season. rava kesaris north indian counterpart is sooji ka halwa.
i had made rava kesari as naivedya for lord ganesha during the first day of the ganesh chaturthi
festival. was not able to post the recipe all the time. finally posting when lord ganesha is leaving
today. bidding a sweet adieu to lord ganesha. rava kesari can also be made during any indian
festival like janmashtami, diwali, raksha bandhan or holi.
the difference between rava kesari and sooji halwa is the color. rava kesari has an orange
color hence the term kesari which means orangish. generally synthetic orange food color is
added while making rava kesari. another variation of rava kesari is pineapple kesari recipe which
is made with chopped pineapples.
since i dont use any synthetic colors in food, i have used saffron or kesar to give the color tones.
saffron will give yellow tones and not orange. apart from that it gives a nice flavor and aroma to
the rava kesari. if you want orange tones, then add orange food color.
to get the best texture and taste, remember to roast the rava/semolina very well. also the sugar
solution should be bubbling hot when adding to the hot semolina-ghee mixture. add the sugar
solution slowly with continuous stirring so that lumps are not formed. in case lumps do form
then just break them with the spatula or spoon.

lets begin the step by step rava kesari recipe:

1: heat ghee in a kadai or a thick bottomed pan. add the rava or sooji along with cashews and
begin to roast.
2: dissolve sugar, water and saffron in a another pan. keep on flame and allow it to
come to a boil.
3: meanwhile continue to roast the rava (semolina) and add cardamom powder.
roast till you can see the ghee getting separated and when you see the cashews
getting browned. the color of the rava should not become brown. this takes approx
7-8 minutes on a low flame.
4: let the sugar-saffron solution come to a boil.
5: pour the sugar-saffron solution in the ghee-rava mixture slowly with continuous
stirring.
6: the rava or sooji will absorb the water and swell and the mixture will thicken. stir
till the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan. switch off and then cover the
pan for 5 minutes just to allow the rava kesari to steam. if you want to make slices,
then immediately pour the rava kesari mixture in a greased pan or tray. spread
evenly and when warm or cooled, cut into diamond shaped or square slices.

7: serve hot or warm rava kesari as it is. you can also serve rava kesari as a side
sweet dish.