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Rava Kesari

This is the easiest way to make a lump free rava kesari using a pressure cooker. This recipe is super quick, tried, tested and fail proof.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

For roasting rava

  • 1/2 cup rava/semolina
  • 1/4 cup ghee
  • 2 tbsp chopped cashews

For sugar syrup

  • 1 cup sugar use raw sugar or white sugar.
  • 1 and 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp kesari colour (orange food colouring)
  • 7-8 strands saffron
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions

  • If you are making this kesari for the first time, please read the instructions fully before you start. Ensure all ingredients are prepped and ready to go because it is really quick once we start.
  • To a small cooker, add 1/4 cup ghee, 1/2 cup rava and cashews. All three ingredients are added in the same time. Keep the heat to low/medium.
  • Simultaneously, in another burner/hob 1½ cups water, 1 cup sugar, kesari food colouring, saffron and cardamom and bring to a simmer. All ingredients are added in the same time. Keep the heat to low/medium. This can slowly simmer while the rava roasts.
  • The rava requires some care - so keep stirring it slowly ensuring it gets fully covered in the ghee and roasted.
  • It takes about 3 to 5 minutes for the rava to be fully roasted. The best indication for this is to check if the cashews have become golden brown. Once the cashews are golden brown, the rava is roasted too.
  • In the meantime, the sugar syrup would be hot and the sugar, fully dissolved.
  • Turn off the heat for both rava and sugar syrup. Pour the boiling hot sugar syrup (be careful!) into the roasted rava mixture in cooker.
  • Close the cooker, place the 'weight' on. Keep the cooker to rest for 20 minutes.
  • In the resting time, no HEAT is required. So, no need to turn the flame on. Let the retained heat in the cooker do its magic.

Notes

I know this sounds like magic, but it really is like that when you make it! A few notes on ingredients and possible substitutions ( you can and should not do!)
  • Sugar - I have tried this recipe in the same ratio with white sugar, raw sugar, powdered jaggery and brown sugar. The 'sweetness' varies depending on the kind of sugar used, but the method works perfectly if you ensure sugar is fully dissolved in water before you mix it in. 
  • Ghee - The amount of ghee used in this recipe above is perfect for a decadent yet not too greasy kesari. It can be increased to 1/3 cup but not more. If you wish to decrease, you can go as low as 1 tbsp but the kesari might not be as rich and smooth as you would expect. 
  • Making it vegan - Substitute the ghee for a neutral oil. I have tried it and it is a very light version, ofcourse missing the flavour of ghee.
  • Cashews are optional and can be omitted or substituted with another nut of your choice, like almonds.