Rava Kesari

This is my first writing in Recipe section. So let me start with a sweet

Rava Kesari is one of the easiest, fastest, cheapest and tastiest sweet which can be prepared at home at ease.

I am not an expert making Rava Kesari, so I request/expect lot of feedback & tips for making it more tastier...

Expert Level Beginner

Cooking time Approx 10-15min

Simple ingredients
Rava (Sooji), Ghee & Sugar (the rest are all optional - but for better taste)

Rava - 1 cup
Ghee - 2-3 teaspoons
Sugar - 1.5/2 times of rava (but for those who dont like much sweet, can reduce the quantity - R&D)
Water (to boil rava)
Kesari powder (optional - for coloring)
Cashew, Cardamom & Raisins for toppings

Preparation

• Put 1 teaspoon of ghee in the pan and roast cashew in it
  
• In the same pan, put rava and roast it too (do not over roast). You will get the aroma (good smell)
  
• Actually roasting of rava will remove the raw smell of rava and avoid lumps being formed
  
• Add water slowly and start mixing rava and make sure there are no lumps formed
  
• Once you are sure that all the raw rava are mixed well with water, pour some more water and make it to boil (a rough calculation - total water is thrice the amount of rava)
  
• Add a pinch of kesari powder (experiment it as how much color you want)
  
• After few minutes (roughly 3-5min), add the sugar (spread it evenly over the top) and start stirring
  
• Add 1-2 teaspoons of ghee (optional)
  
• Keep it for 1-2 minutes
  
• Add cashew, raisins and cardamom for toppings
  

Wow... Its smells goooooood...

Kesari is ready

wow, Karthi... super Rava Kesari.

Ratios are perfect.

While adding water to the rava, its better to add hot water (or) you can boil the water in the kadai and add the roasted rava while stirring.

You can add some more ghee ... atleast one ladle ( karandi )

Good going Karthi . keep it up.

Your new Title OORVAMBU ( in English ) is also nice.

'Latest updates' in the beginning is also very nice. Chummaa poondhu vilayaadara... .

Thanks for your input

When to add that ghee?

After mixing the sugar properly with the cooked rava, you can add ghee.

Hi Karthi,

Rawa Kesari is superb. I tell you my recipe.

Rawa 1 cup

sugar 2 cups

water(boiled) 3 cups.

preparation: First fry the rawa in ghee nicely (little golden colour. Rawa completely muzhugara alavukku ghee irukkanum then only there will be no lump formation, when you pour hotwater). then add hot water. Once it is cooked, then add sugar, then add colour and dry fruits. Within two minutes kesari will be ready. Try this.

Recipe paathaale saapadunbola irukku adhuvum ivalo nei vittu...
ssssuuupppp (tasting )

Txs Bhuvana

Bhuvana... your Ghee rava kesari recipe is super. will try it for sure.

Dear Meera and Karthi,

Thanks. Meera convey our Best wishes to your daughter for the 10th board exam.

with love,

bhuvana.

avvalavu nei vittaa.... perattaadhu? but......... neengallaam type panninadhai padikkumbodhe yenakku sappidanumnu aasai vandhuduthu. evening tiffin ku adhu dhaan innikku. thanks for sharing Karthi,Meera and Bhuvana.

so karthi,next time yengalai meet pannumpodhu sweet-to da dhaan varanum:-)

Thanks Bhuvana for your wishes.

Mala... just add one more extra ladle of ghee, than your usual method and try it. But we have seen, Saravana bavan Kesari... it will be like kesari floating in ghee.

Viji... ' like' for your comment.

avan vandhaale sweet dhaan. sweet ku mela sweet saaptaa... GUNDAAYIDUVA. I... DON'T... CARE. (AD NYAABAGAM IRUKKAA???)

karthi.....you prepared this kesari????

ultimate da. kesari colour powder laam kidaikkardhaa anga???

super O super!! ensoy mavane!!

Mala, kaettaa sirippael... To get the color, just i put a pinch of manja podi

Color illaenaa, edho kesari-ye illaadha maadhiri irukkum.. Adhaan...

Btw, I remember the advt

Fun in US...

I prepared this Kesari for my birthday and shared with my colleagues over here.

Before I could further say, let me tell you the culture over here. If anyone comes back from vacation or if its someone's birthday or any special occasion, people used to keep some toffees / cookies / cakes / pizzas or any cooked food in our common kitchen(s) and anyone can take it.

I kept this kesari in a plastic tupperware on the table and was discussing with my colleague, while she was tasting my kesari. There few of my fellow colleagues (never seen them before) came for coffee and saw the kesari kept on the table.

She (American) asked, is that Halwa?

I didn't hear it properly as what she asked. I thought she was talking to other colleague.
Then my friend told her that, no its not Halwa, its kesari. I think they knew the name as they have already tasted in Minerva (a chain of restaurants).

Since she asked that, I asked her inturn whether she would like to taste. She said why not..
Oops.. I didn't know what she is going to tell after eating it..

I gave her very little and told her, if she likes it, I will give her more..

After eating, that lady asked me - Did you make this?
I had no clue, in what sense she was asking.. Is that not good? Didn't she like it?

After a pause, she replied. Wow... Amazing, its awesome.. Excellent.. Really, did you make it?

Oh my God, happiness came.. I replied Yes smilingly..

She gave a comment - Don't worry if you didn't get any job here, keep a restaurant like Minerva, you can earn more than this.

The other guy who accompanied her also tasted it and said, this is excellent than Minerva..

He he he...

If people here likes even my cooking, don't know what they will tell if they eat our Indian foods prepared great Indian chefs (mainly south Indian moms - they are great cook)...

First I thought, you have downloaded this picture from some website.

Really very nice appearance da.

Your writings are always good. Good write-up about Fun in US.

wow,kalakku. tempting to have

Karthi became famous @ Intersections Inc.,

I am really very very happy today to get lot of complements and appreciations from my office colleagues.

Today we had a Potluck Baby Shower for one of our colleagues.
For those who don't know what is Potluck - it is a people gathering where each one in that group share food which they made or bought. Its a kind of get-together where people have the food prepared by their group members instead of ordering from outside... But those who cant make it can contribute by buying from outside

Few days back I got a meeting invitation saying that its a surprise potluck baby shower. I asked the person who invited us for the baby shower - do I need to prepare anything for the potluck? She replied, its not mandatory as you are staying in a hotel alone as a bachelor and we don't expect from a boy to cook food.

I asked, can I prepare sweet and bring? For that she replied, if you don't want to take the risk, you can buy something ready made from the shop like fruits, juices, desserts etc.

I wanted to make it a surprise (in the back of my mind I was thinking, let me make Kesari as my share)

The day has come and I pinged her, I have brought my share for the Potluck, where & when to keep it. She said bring it to Red Wood room (a conference room) at 11AM.

Before the clock struck 11, I reheated it in the microwave, went and kept at the room and silently returned. It's 11.45, I thought people would have gathered by now, let me peek into the room. The cake cutting ceremony was already over. My sweet was also kept as part of the servings, but it was closed (I doubted whether people really noticed it)

I went inside and started to serve myself with the different food prepared & neatly arranged. All were awesome but I was not able to eat more as it was already full. They have kept Salads, Couscous (Upma kind of thing), poori, chic peas masala (channa masala), bel puri, fruits, some non-veg stuffs, juices and my kesari too

People started eating all, but no one came near my kesari
Don't they like sweet here??? Oops its a dessert right, only after eating all and at the end only they will come for the dessert right.. Ok, let me wait.

Suddenly I heard a person saying, Karthik, did you buy this?
(thinking in my mind - Is it not good?)
I replied, nope I prepared it at 3AM today
She: What 3AM? Is it a ready made mix?
Me: Nope..
She: Have you really done this from the scratch??
Me: Yes, I did it with Sooji & Sugar.
She: Wow... I really love this Halwa...
Me: He he he, its not Halwa, we call it as Kesari.
She: Is it, we used to call this as Halwa.
Me: Not, its preparation is different.
She: Whatever be the name, its awesome. Guys please taste this one, Karthik prepared by himself @ 3AM and its awesome.

I heard people murmuring...

Now everyone finished their main course and its dessert time... They came and tasted my kesari and said, unbelievable, did you make it? Wow...

I was very happy and smiling...

Everything set & done, now its packing time.. One colleague said, don't touch that Halwa..

I was thinking what??? Why??

She said, its only for us, we will take it home. Pack whatever you want, except the Halwa..



I hear people saying "Where is my Kesari" / "Where is my Halwa".. I want a packet, I want a packet (they were packing the stuffs in a zip locker)

To tell the truth, they were quiet while taking the other stuffs, but fighting for my Kesari...
I said don't worry I will prepare it once again, if you guys like it.
Without giving a break, one girl replied, "please don't offer that, then you will be in a trouble, we will keep asking you. By the way you are invited for all the potlucks henceforth and we are going to conduct it now and then and everytime you prepare this kesari"

My God, are they making fun of me or really they like it?? (I was thinking)

I heard a sound, "Hey you didn't pack me the kesari, I want it". Then I realized, they really liked my Kesari and they started asking me the recipe.

They asked me, how did this color came? For that one girl replied, we need to add kesari powder.. I was laughing.. I said, don't laugh at me, I didn't had Kesari powder here, so I added a pinch of Turmeric powder...

What??????? Turmeric powder??? Really?? Amazing yaar, we didn't even get the smell or taste of it? When you added it, this that and the conversation went on...

Now I am feeling really very very happy that I also contributed something for the potluck and the most funny thing is everyone liked it a lot...

Few words from the person who had her Baby Shower
"A lot of good things coming out of it too, like knowing that everyone in the team is a great cook! Karthik with his delicious dessert even when he prepared it in a hotel room, and even Steve with his awesome salad! "

My special thanks to Bhuvana & Meera and all who gave the tips to make it yummy...

Ahaa.... Super da ambi.

Waiting eagerly to taste your yummy yummy Rava kesari dear.

How much quantity you did for potluck?... Good it comes out very well. I wonder, how it will be if we add turmeric powder in Kesari mmmmmmmmmmm . ...

Hope you are sharing these wonderful moments with our mom and dad.... they will be very happy.

Hope we will have frequent potluck parties at our home hereafter.

Sure we will..

I will let our parents know about this, when I go there...

Anyway first week full-aa idhu dhaan irukkum...