Rava Kesari Recipe: An Indian Dessert for Your Sweet Tooth

By Bhamini S.

A quick and easy snack for when you feel like devouring something sweet, this rava kesari is easily made with items that are readily available in your pantry. You might have also heard of it being called sooji halwa. 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup fine sooji/rava/semolina (you can also use coarse semolina)
• Finely chopped cashews and sultanas (sultanas optional)
• ½ cup melted ghee
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• ¾ cup sugar
• Saffron strands, a few, soaked in little warm milk
• Orange food colour, just a pinch
• 2 cups water

Preparation

1. Roast the cashews in a pan and set them aside.
2. Next, roast the semolina/rava with a little ghee until a mild aroma is released. Be careful not to burn or over roast. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, add 2 cups of water and allow it to boil. Add sugar and bring to boil until sugar is dissolved. Allow the sugar solution to boil for a few more minutes but do not allow it to become like sugar syrup. 
4. Next, add the colour, kesari (saffron) strands and cardamom powder so that they are evenly spread.
5. When the sugar solution is at boiling point, add the roasted semolina/rava slowly into the pan.
6. Cook semolina/ rava until it is soft, then stir in remaining ghee and cashews.

Your kesari/ halwa is ready! Eat it while it is warm to enjoy the real flavour.