Rava Kesari | Suji ka Halwa | (Semolina Fudge)

Just thinking about this sweet makes me drool. One of the reasons why I love Indian Cuisine is this Kesari. :-) Especially the ones that are loaded with Ghee/Clarified Butter. They taste the best. Of course, that means you have to restrict yourself to miniscule amounts; but so what?! Its better to eat sinful delights in moderate quantities than eat boring salads in large quantities! ;-)

Kesari is a sweet made out of Indian Semolina flour. Its highly popular and you'll find the sweet served in many festivals and functions. Traditionally, we use Saffron threads to bring out a lovely orange color and a divine smell in the sweet. But since saffron is ridiculously expensive, a lot of people prefer using Orange food coloring instead.

RECIPE
(Print this Recipe)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
Semolina / Suji / Rava – 1 cup
Ghee (Clarified) Butter – 1 cup
Sugar – 2 cups
Water – 3 cups
Cashew nuts – 10
Raisins -10
Orange color / Saffron Streaks –a pinch

Method -
Dry roast semolina for a few seconds till it gets slightly heated. (Do not roast more than that)
Heat a little ghee, fry cashew nuts, raisins and keep it aside.

Add half a cup of Ghee, add semolina flour and cook for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, boil water
Add 3 cups of boiling water to the semolina and mix well. KEEP STIRRING CONTINUOUSLY

Add a pinch of kesari powder / orange color / Saffron & cardamom powder mix well

Soon, the water will start reducing and and a thick mixture is formed

Simmer and cook for about  8-10 minutes (Mix frequently to avoid lumps)
After the semolina mixture gets cooked (you can tell when it is done. the raw smell of semolina goes away), add sugar and mix well till it dissolves.

You'll notice that once the sugar is added and it starts meltiing, the mixture becomes loose and easier to work with

Keep stirring for another 5-10 minutes to avoid lumps.
Add the remaining ghee / clarified butter and mix everything well. Look for a solid yet smooth consistency.

Add half the cashews and raisins & mix well.

Garnish it with remaining cashew nuts and raisins

Serve in a bowl; or -
You could transfer it to a plate, let it cool and cut into squares and serve in bite sized pieces too.
Enjoy! :-)

Alternatives:

Add a few pineapple pieces with the semolina in step 5 and cook both together to get a pineapple flavored Sheera.

Useful Tip:

The secret to getting that luscious consistency is to keep stirring...