Rava kesari recipe, learn how to make south Indian style rava kesari with tips and tricks to make it without lumps, step by step pictures for beginners.
Kesari is the easiest sweet, that can be prepared in a jiffy, a popular delicious dish made with ease for special occasions and sweet cravings.
This is the basic kesari recipe apart from other kesari variations like milk kesari recipe, Pineapple kesari recipe, fruit kesari recipe and mango kesari recipe I have posted in my blog
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Difficulty
For me luckily I have not struggled much to learn making it. That is because I have seen mom and mom in law make it many a times.
But I have seen many who run into trouble or don’t get it right. The major trouble you get when making is getting lumps.
For me, I love making sweets, I love each and every process we do and I enjoy the out come. It's every time like how a person feels the success.
(Well let's not be too greedy, let me stop here🤓,when I run into trouble and don’t get it right, I will feel very low in confidence and feel as if I am zero in cooking, that’s a different story😷).
But if you ask my hubby, he always tells a short story in the topic kesari.
💭Story
He loves kesari more than me or may be, before falling in love with me, he fell in love with it and still he has an affair.
When he was in his teens, whenever my MIL leaves to market or shopping leaving him behind at home, before she comes back, he used to make rava kesari.
Enjoy it and cleans everything and keep so that she doesn't get any doubt, at least at first glance.
But every time he wonders how amma’s kesari is so colourful and his is ugly in colour😝 (without knowing that there is a thing known as food colour to make it colourful 😆).
And yes now he makes a perfect kesari, if I want him to make! Ok let me move on to how I make Kesari.
👩🏽🍳 Avoiding lumps
There are two stages in the process where there are chances to get lumps.
Firstly, while adding rava to boiling water and secondly, while adding sugar to cooked rava.
I have shared the things I noted carefully in this post in detail, please continue reading patiently once to learn the tips and tricks.
- Roast well - This is the first and foremost thing you should do for avoiding the lumps. But take care not to change it's color. Do it in medium or low heat and keep stirring to avoid color changing.
- Use good quantity of ghee - Don't skimp on the ghee amount. Go ahead and add the required amount and reduce the serving size if you feel guilty.
- Stirring - While adding water as well as sugar, keep stirring as you slowly add it. These two are important stages for avoiding lumps.
⭐ Why this works
I have made this recipe all my life and this is the perfect way to make kesari.
- Adding all the ghee in roasting stage itself helps forming no lumps as well as even roasting, there by perfect texture!
- Adding boiling water instead of adding roasted rava to boiling water, helps in quick results.
- Also you can do the one pot method, no roasting and transferring the rava/ sooji. Instead, boil water side by side and add to roasted rava.
🍚 Semolina
There are quite a few rava (semolina) varieties such as roasted, unroasted, double roasted, bombay rava etc.
Trust me, everything works perfectly in this recipe. But never skip the roasting step irrespective of it's variety (roasted too, just reduce the roasting time)
📖 Variations
- Instead of water, you can mix water and milk in equal proportions and make it rich. Please note, the cooking time may be more as we are using milk.
- Swap orange food color with yellow too. Try to use natural food color (plant based) if possible.
- Equal amount of ghee and oil can be used instead of fully using ghee. This is actually the secret they follow in kalyana veetu kesaris/ functions by thavasu pillais. Using oil helps the texture to be soft rather than solidified ones. You can use neutral smelling oil like sunflower oil or vegetable oil.
- Kesari bath variation - Use more water, that is here it is 1:3, for kesari bath, use 1:5! But also increase ghee quantity (double) as otherwise the texture will be like paste.
- I have not added raisins, you can sure add if you like it.
💬 My notes
- If the rava is not cooked properly before adding sugar, then the kesari will be chewy or turn hard. So make sure to cook in low flame until soft before adding sugar.
- Adding sugar as such in one go without stirring and later stirring results in forming lumps. Never leave it with out stirring if you add sugar. Add little by little in sprinkled way as you mix in with the cooked kesari by continuously stirring.
- Even while adding water, make sure to mix.
📋 Right stage
When will you know the kesari is done? As you keep stirring after adding sugar, it will turn non sticky with the pan, and you will probably see a short string formed while stirring. This is the right stage.
For firm kesari, this water quantity is enough. For softer kesari, use more water. But make sure to use more ghee, otherwise the kesari will eventually turn gummy.
For best results, use homemade ghee as it will give you light feel in your tummy as well as best flavor.
Recipe card
Rava kesari recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Rava/ sooji/ semolina
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 & ½ cups Water
- ¼ cup Ghee
- 1 cardamom powdered
- 8 Cashews
- 1 pinch Kesari colour
Instructions
- Heat a pan, add ghee and roast the cashews in medium flame. Once golden and crisp, drain from ghee and set aside.
- In the same ghee, add rava.
- Fry in medium flame, with constant stirring until a nice aroma comes (the rava will start turning golden brown here and there).
- Transfer the mixture to a plate and set aside.
- Add water to the pan and bring to boil. Add the fried rava little by little to the boiling water and keep stirring simultaneously.
- Eventually, you can also side by side boil measured water needed for the recipe and add it to the roasted rava saving the transfer.
- Take care no lumps are formed, keep in medium flame and stir well.
- Keep in low flame and cook covered for 4 minutes or until the rava gets cooked well.
- Add sugar, kesari colour (please use natural food colour) and keep the flame in medium and stir well.
- Some times, when you add sugar and mix, immediately you may find very few lumps or tiny lumps, but don't panic, stir well in a way to mash those lumps, it gets mashed well in the heat.
- Stir in medium flame for 4 minutes or still the kesari forms as a whole mass (doesn't stick to the pan at all).
- Add ghee fried cashews, cardamom powder to this if desired.
- Optional : Grease a plate with ghee and spread the kesari in it and after cooling down, cut out as diamonds with a knife.
Notes
- Make sure to roast in low flame or medium flame without changing colour.
- Stir briskly to avoid lumps. In case lumps are formed, mash it immediately with ladle.
📸 Step by step photos
1. Heat a pan, add ghee and roast the cashews in medium flame. Once golden and crisp, drain from ghee and set aside.
Measure and boil water side by side for making it one pot instead of transferring the rava after roasting. (Skip step 4 & 5)
2. In the same ghee, add rava.
3. Fry in medium flame, with constant stirring until a nice aroma comes (the rava will just start turning golden brown).
4. Transfer the mixture to a plate and set aside.
5. Add water to the pan and bring to boil.
6. Slowly add fried rava to the boiling water and keep stirring simultaneously. (If you have boiling water ready in other stove, add that to rava stirring carefully)
7. Eventually, you can also side by side boil measured water needed for the recipe and add it to the roasted rava saving the transfer.
8. Take care no lumps are formed, keep in medium flame and stir well.
9. Keep in low flame and cook covered for 4 minutes.
10. Rava should be cooked soft.
Add sugar
11. Add the sugar, as you keep stirring.
12. In goes Kesari colour (please use natural food colour) and keep the flame in medium and stir well.
13. When you add sugar and mix, immediately you may find few lumps. Don't panic, stir well in a way to mash those lumps gets mashed well.
14. Stir in medium flame for 4 minutes.
15. Let the kesari forms as a whole mass (doesn't stick to the pan at all).
16. Add ghee fried cashews, cardamom powder to this if desired. (Fry cashews in a tablespoon of ghee we reserved before)
17. Optional : Grease a plate with ghee and spread the kesari in it and level.
18. After cooling down,draw as diamonds with a knife.
So how do you like it, scooped rava kesari or the cut into pieces? 🙂
Shanthi
Love the kesari cut into diamond shape. Well presented as ever.
Premalatha Aravindhan
kesari luks perfect,really delicious...
Prathibha
Hmmm...yummy kesari.....Nice cute diamonds.....I like to make it more of halwa kind by adding milk,condensed milk n all..
Priya
Loved the story behind ur hubby's kesari..Our all time favourite..feel like grabbing some kesari diamonds now..
Priti
Looks so perfect am feeling hungry dear and thanks for the wonderful entry :)...and for the next His Cooking Event ..shall ask him to make this? 😉
RAKS KITCHEN
Definitely yes,in that name I can enjoy the kesari 😉
jeyashrisuresh
perfect kesari.my mom too cut it into diamonds like this, but i never attempted because of lack of patience. My fav one too.nice clicks
notyet100
halwa looks delicious
lata raja
All time easy sweet to make and mess up too:) These look perfectly done and a nice tip about using up all the ghee while frying the rawa only.
Pavithra
Looks too good and perfect Raji.. Yah as u said its a jiffy sweet... the photo in the banana leaf plate is beautiful dear. The tips are great too.
G.Pavani
itlooks yummy n every ones favt
தேனம்மை லெக்ஷ்மணன்
the presentation n method is good. yammy ..
Suja Sugathan
Lovely lovely..beautiful presentation too.
Pavithra Srihari
superaa irukku da... not even in my sweetest dreams i would have thought of making it like a burfi..beautiful it looks .. super colorful
Swathi
I love the story behind your wondrful rava keasari. Looks delicious Raji
Sangi
Kesari luks perfect n lovely presentation
tnx 4 stopping by Raji
Deepa G Joshi
this looks so yummmyy..loved the clicks..they are so tempting..
meeso
Perfect looking sweet... love the step-by-step pictures!
swapna
Looks Delicious...love the step by step pics!!
Satya
rava kesari looks awesome ...
Satya
http://www.superyummyrecipes.com
kothiyavunu.com
Woww wat a droolworthy rava kesari, tickling my tongue..
Mahi
Lovely story and a colourful kesari!yummmmm!
Sharmilee! :)
Wow looks so perfect and yummy, I luv it too!
Chitra
Tat looks mouthwatering and feel like grabbing it from the screen 😉
nice entry !!
Sushma Mallya
Perfectly done and what a lovely colour too....
Anonymous
Made these with laptop next to the stove and following your instructions, came out great. Thanks a ton 🙂
lissie
Rava Kesari looks perfect and yummy! my favorite sweet...
Vanamala Hebbar
Rava Kesari looks nice..
Mano Saminathan
Superb and colourful rava Kesari!
Lavi
kesari ivlo azhaga naan parthathea illa..i will use this idea of cutting kesari into bars, for serving to guests.
RAKS KITCHEN
Thank you so so so much for trying and the prompt feed back Lakshmi,hope you enjoyed it.
Sandhya Hariharan
heyy raks... didnt realise when u moved to ur own domain... congrats...
the garlic buns are soo cute.. i was thinking of such savoury buns yesterday.. glad to see it in ur space....
Hamaree Rasoi
Wow !! feel like grabbing some from the screen....Liked the diamond shapes..I'm always late here....so following you now ;-p
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Bharathy
Pretty pretty post!!!Believe me I still flaw with rava kesari :)..so...as always...bookmarking 😀
Dr.Sameena Prathap
Hi,
great and lovely presentation...i love kesari...very easy to make...i make it often!!!
[email protected]://www.myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com
xyz
Kindly tell me the quantity of RA a the recipe says 1/2 ...and sugar is 3/4 which is more than RA a....so had a doubt
RAKS KITCHEN
yes xyz, it is 3/4 to 1 cup. Its sur emore than rava quantity. my mom makes the ratio remember in a easy way : rava:sugar = 1:2 Sometimes I like it bit less, so i wrote the recipe as 3/4 to 1 cup 🙂 Do try the ratio,it will definitely come out perfect!!
RENU
hi
superb.....with a nice color............i tried this....it came out delicious!!!u r the best!!.....thanks so much.
Amy
First time here & now I want to try this..you have explained it clearly.Normally I am not very good in cooking sweets....But I want to try this,book marked,will let you know the out come once prepared.....
sudha
Hi, I tried this recipe today and was surprised at the outcome. I have tried Kesari many a times earlier and never it tasted so good..And I must say you have a lovely blog...Have infact tried many other recipes and they all are a hit. Thanks and keep blogging.
Mokshaa
Thankyou for the receipe... It turned out fantastic. Great work.
Soumya
Hi Raks...
Thanks for recipe...b/w where did you buy the tray from. Looks good.
RAKS KITCHEN
Soumya, its a baking tray. I bought in Singapore some sale...
Anuradha
Hi Raks,made this and it was yummy..thanks for the perfect recipe..
Rumana Ambrin
Awesome looking sweet...
athulya rs
can you explain the measurement half cup etc.i cnt understand
Raks anand
A cup that measures 120 ml of liquid
asha nair
Thnkuu:) i tried itt yummy
Dill Shani
Done. Yummi Yummi kesari
ekta
Which semolina do we use for this recipe ??? Coarse or fine ???
Raks anand
Coarse works best. Caana be done with fine too, but more it will be like halwa
Smitha
Came out really good .. Thank I so much for the recipe
Niyatha Krishnan
Tried it just now......turned out really well. Thanks
Unknown
Made kesari with ur recipe. It came out well both texture n taste. Thanks for the recipe. I am surely going to try out your other recipes. Bye
Ilana Bar-Hai
Hello from Israel. I made this today for helping some Indian friends who are visiting, celebrate Diwali. I have never tasted it before but I think it came out just right. I made one with milk and one without.. I took photos as well. Happy Diwali to you and thanks.
Unknown
Can v make kesari with idli rava?? Thanks in advance
Raks anand
Taste would be totaly different and taste like kalkandu pongal 🙂
Valerie Ebau
Hi..my kesari turn out to be too soft till I cannot cut into nice shape. It doesn't hold. Is there anything I can do? Shall I put it on the pan and stir it again?
Raks anand
Sorry for my late response. Yes you can stir again in case it happens again. Also it gets slightly thicker when gets cooled.
Meeeeee
Tried this couple of times, and it turned out awesome 🙂 Gonna try fruit kesari very soon..
Unknown
Do we use roasted rava for this or directly from the pack?
Raks anand
We are roasting in step one. So which ever rava, better to roast in ghee as first step.
saranya kamal
Water 1:3 or 1:4 ratio
Kamala Sekaran
Rava kesari was super easy to make and tasted awesome. I used 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup water.
Pradhiba Kanthish
Thank u Raks. Got it very nice. Thank u so much for the recipe.
Unknown
Thank you Raks. Got it very nice. Thank u so much for the recipe.
Raks Kitchen
Thank you Pradhiba
Gayatri
Could you please recommend the brand for natural food colour
Raks Anand
Sprig, Nature tree, Hoppers can be found online in Amazon
Prajin
Wow super really nice
lagina
thank u akki ...for ur great recipe...................................