Rava Kesari (Sooji Halwa)

My First Recipe.. Starting off with a Sweet. Hearing this dialogue" Sweet edu, Kondadu" 

Rava Kesari is a dessert that is loved by one and all. It can be made in a few minutes'time and thus can be a great dessert when guests visit us. It is also served in many temples as prassad. We made it for our wedding anniversary and here you go for the recipe.

Main ingredients :

Semolina / sooji – 1 cup

Sugar – 1 cup (based on the taste buds)

Butter - 1/2 cup

Water –  2 1/2 cups (Instead of water, we can use Milk which brings out a very rich flovour)

Seasoning:

Raisins, cashews, cardamom

Mild colour (optional)

Method:

Heat the butter in a thick pan. When the butter melts, add the raisins and the cashews and cardamom.

When they turn golden brown in colour, reduce the flame.

In the low flame roast the sooji/semolina until the colour turns to slight brown. A nice flavour comes when we roast it.

Add sugar and mix the sugar with the roasted sooji /rava/semolina.

Add water immediately after mixing it. Keep kindling the mix until the water mixes well with the sooji/rava/semolina..

Now, increase the flame and add saffron water to the boiling sooji/rava/semolina to get a nice colour. In the mean time, we can add a little more of sugar if we want it to be sweeter.

When the consistency is semi solid or is about to be solid, switch off the flame and allow it to cool.

Once the sooji is warm, we can cut it into desired shapes like rectangle or diamond shaped ones and place them on a plate. Also, we can place cashews on the cut pieces to give a rich look.

Simple Tips:

Roasting the semolina:

• ·         It helps remove the raw flavour of the semolina
• ·         It also helps the semolina to become grainy.

Adding Sugar before water:

• ·         Helps remove the lumps formation.