Rava Kesari

Rava Kesari / Sheera (Sooji Halwa) is a typical Indian sweet dish made with semolina (known as either “rava” or “sooji”. It is a popular offering /prasadam /neivedyam item found during Satyanarayana Pooja in Maharashtra and Andhra. You can make it on any occasion as neivedyam and I made this on Durga Astami. It is sweetened with sugar and flavored with aromatic spices, nuts and raisins. Rava Kesari can be eaten for breakfast,eaten as a dessert.It is very easy to prepare and simply healthy.

Ingredients:-

Rava/sooji- 1 cup

Sugar- 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups

water- 1 1/2 cups

milk- 1 1/2 cups

ghee- 5 tbsp

cashews- 10

cardomom powder-1/2 tsp

orange / yellow food colour-a pinch ( I used Yellow Colour)

Method:-

1) Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a frying pan and roast the rava for a few minutes till a nice aroma comes out. Be careful not to burn the rava.Then keep the roasted rava aside.

2) In the same pan heat 1 tbsp of ghee and add cashews . Fry till golden brown and keep it aside.

3) In the same pan boil the water and milk . When the water and milk gets boil add  the food colour and mix well. Then add fried rava to it slowly by stirring continuously , so that no lumps are formed.Keep it on medium Flame.It will take another 8-10 minutes.

4) When Rava is fully cooked and there is no water then  add sugar and mix well. By this time the rava would have been almost cooked and so reduce the flame and keep stirring in between so it doesn't burn.Add remaining ghee and mix well.It will take another  5-8 minutes.

5) Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.Garnish with fried cashews.

6) Yummy Rava Kesari is ready to serve.

Tip:-

I used the regular semolina variety. If u are using the fine sooji, then add 2 cups of milk+water.


This is my contribution to Navaratri Festive Food event hosted by Lakshmi.