Delicious rava kesari

rava kesari recipe with step by step photos. rava kesari is a popular and delicious south indian sweet made from semolina (rava or sooji) during the festive season. rava kesari’s north indian counterpart is sooji ka halwawhich is also equally popular and taste good.

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.

since i don’t 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.

you can also use milk instead of water. this makes the rava kesari more rich. use same amount of milk as the quantity of water mentioned in the post.

to get the best texture and taste in rava kesari recipe:

• remember to roast the rava very well.
• also the sugar solution should be bubbling hot when adding to the hot rava-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.
• you can also use the roasted rava. but make sure that the rava is roasted well. sometimes the readymade roasted rava is not completely roasted.

rava kesari recipe below:

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prep time

5 mins

cook time

10 mins

total time

15 mins

rava kesari recipe - south indian dessert made with semolina, ghee, dry fruits and saffron.

course: desserts

cuisine: south indian

servings: 3 to 4

calories: 651 kcal

author: dassana amit

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

• 1 cup fine rava (sooji or semolina or cream of wheat)
• 5 to 6 tablespoon ghee
• ¾ to 1 cup sugar or as required
• 2 cups water or milk
• 2 to 3 pinches of saffron threads(kesar)
• 4 to 5 green cardamom - husked and powdered OR ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (choti elaichi powder)
• ¼ cup halved or chopped cashews(kaju)

how to make recipe

preparation for rava kesari recipe:

1. crush the cardamoms to a semi fine powder in a mortar-pestle and keep aside.
2. also crush the saffron threads in the same mortar-pestle and keep aside.

making rava kesari:

1. keep a kadai or pan on a low flame.
2. add the ghee and when the ghee is heating up, do the following.
3. take the sugar and water in another pan. instead of water you can also use milk to make rava kesari. use same amount of milk.
4. keep this pan on a medium to high flame and let the solution come to a boil.
5. also add the powdered saffron or kesar to the sugar solution.
6. once the ghee becomes hot, add the rava (semolina) and keep on stirring while adding the rava.
7. immediately add the cashews to the rava and keep on stirring the rava mixture.
8. in the meanwhile keep your eyes also on the sugar+water solution. if the mixture starts to boil, then lower the flame and let it simmer.
9. keep on stirring the rava for 7 to 8 minutes and when the grains change their color and when the cashews also change to a light golden, we have to add the bubbling hot sugar+water solution.
10. increase the flame to high for the sugar solution to bubble and when it starts to bubble in a matter of seconds, immediately add it to the hot rava mixture.
11. be careful as the mixture has the tendency to splutter. pour the sugar+water solution in the ghee+rava mixture slowly with continuous stirring.
12. 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. 
13. then switch off the flame and cover the pan for 5 minutes just to allow the rava kesari to steam.
14. remove the lid and serve the rava kesari hot or warm.

recipe notes

• you can add a few tbsp of ghee if you want in the rava kesari.

this approximate nutrition info is per serving:

Nutrition Facts

rava kesari recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 651Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 14g70%

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 55mg18%

Sodium 81mg3%

Potassium 175mg5%

Total Carbohydrates 96g32%

Dietary Fiber 3g12%

Sugars 50g

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A13.3%

Vitamin C0.3%

Calcium42.4%

Iron112%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

how to make 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. 

Thank you and share pls