SEMOLINA DESERT/ SOOJI HALWA/ KESARI/ SHEERA

Yum

This is an traditional south indian desert made with rava/ semolina is an easy and simple desert that tastes absolutely great. This desert is usually prepared during festivals and weddings. This is so simple with just few ingredients from your pantry. You can use either fine or coarse rava. Here i used coarse semolina. Saffron color is optional, if you dont want to use the food color, just prepare the kesari as it is. To make it vegan, use cannola oil or sunflower oil or vegan butter.

Rava/Sooji/semolina - 1 cup

cardamon pods - 4 crushed

saffron - a pinch (optional)

saffron color - a pinch (optiona)

water - 2 cups

sugar - 1 cup

cashew nuts - handful 

ghee/clarified butter - 5 tablespoon

 COOK TIME : 30 MINS

roasted rava with ghee and nuts

oil oozing along the sides

• Heat a pan with ghee, once hot add the cashew nuts and fry until roasted. 
• Now add the semolina and roast them in the ghee on medium flame, until the semolina changes its color to light browm, releasing sweet aroma. 
• Meanwhile crush the cardamon pods and saffron and keep aside. 
• In a separate pan pour the water and sugar, a pinch of saffron color and bring it to boil.
• Meanwhile, check if the semolina is roasted, once its light brown, add the sugar water to the semolina, along with the cardamon and saffron, stir well, heads up it might splutter sometimes.
• Stir well until it thickens. Once it thickens, keep the flame on low, and stir occasionally until it realizes oil along it edges, this might take 10 to 15 mins. 
• Serve hot or cold. The kesari has nice texture and tastes delightful.

NOTE:
There are various alternatives in this recipe. Some add milk instead of water and prepare as milk sheer/kesari. Other variations are like you can add pineapple junks and juices or apple sauce, it tastes delicious.
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