Rava Kesari is a South India’s version of Suji ka Halwa. This delicious Saffron-flavoured Semolina Halva is a perennial favourite in the festival season and is very easy to make. Also called Kesari Bath in Kannada, you will find it being made ever so often, especially when unexpected guests drop in for a visit.
Rava Kesari firmly falls in the comfort food category. You can make it in a jiffy and it can satisfy a craving for sweets like few other desserts can. In South India, we serve this dish for breakfast, at tea-time, or even as a part of a festive lunch.
Some Fun Facts
- Kannadigas refer to the combination of Kesari Bath (as this dish is referred to in Kannada) and Khara Bath (as Upma is referred to in Kannada) as Chow Chow Bath, and serve it for breakfast.
- Maharashtrians refer to Suji ka Halwa as God Sheera (Sweet Sheera), while refer to Upma as Tikhat Sheera (Spicy Sheera).
Some Tips to Make a Delicious Rava Kesari
- Do not stint of the ghee. I use a 1:2 proportion of ghee to semolina and this gives me the perfectly soft yet grainy Rava Kesari. Without the ghee, the dish tends to become hard.
- Immediately after the Kesari Bath is ready, it may seem like there is too much ghee. If you let the dish rest a bit, you will find that the dessert absorbs all the ghee. The ghee helps this Saffron and Semolina Halva remain soft and fluffy.
- I used only Saffron to get the golden yellow colour. If you use saffron liberally, you will not need any artificial food colour.
- I soak the Saffron strands in warm (not hot) water for 5 to 10 minutes to release the colour and aroma.
- Add the fried cashews at the very end so that you retain a bit of crunch.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- If you want to try something decadent, make Sojjappalu or Rava Kesari Stuffed Puris.
- In the mood for something crunchy and sweet? Try the Andhra Rava Appalu | Suji Appam | Deep-fried Semolina Halwa Discs or the Suji Kakara Pitha from Odisha.
- If you prefer jaggery to sugar, do try this variation called Gur aur Suji ka Halwa | Gulacha Sheera | Rava Jaggery Kesari .
- Want to surprise people? Make these soft and delicious Suji ke Gulab Jamun | Rava Gulab Jamun. 🙂
How to Make the Perfect Rava Kesari | Kesari Bath
- Warm 2 cups water and add 2 large pinches of saffron strands (about 20 to 25 saffron strands) to it. Set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed vessel, over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup of ghee.
- Break 4 to 6 cashews into quarters and add them to the hot ghee.
- Stir-fry till the cashews turn light golden brown.
- Using a slotted ladle, remove the fried cashews from the ghee and set aside.
- To the ghee, add 1/2 cup coarse Semolina, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Now, add the saffron-infused water and add it to the semolina.
- Mix well and ensure that there are no lumps.
- Cook the mix till the water is absorbed into the Kesari Bath.
- Next, add 1/2 cup sugar and mix well till the sugar melts into the dish.
- Cook the Suji ka Halwa till the ghee leaves the sides.
- Turn off the heat and add the fried cashews.
- Mix well and keep covered for 10 minutes. You will find that the ghee will be absorbed into the Rava Kesari.
- Serve Rava Kesari warm.
I had first posted this recipe a lifetime ago in June 2014! I cannot believe that I am just getting around to updating it.
Recipe for the Perfect Rava Kesari | Kesari Bath | Kesari Suji ka Halwa
Rava Kesari | Kesari Bath | Kesari Suji ka Halwa | Saffron and Semolina Halva
Popularly called Rava Kesari in South India, this is Suji ka Halwa to which saffron has been added. This easy-to-make dessert is a crowd pleaser and made quite often during many festivals. Rava Kesari is often a part of breakfast, especially at weddings.
Equipment
- Bowl – 1/2 Litre Capacity
- Heavy Bottomed Vessel (1/2 litre capacity)
- Ladle
- Lid
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Semolina (Rava, Suji) See Notes
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cups Water
- 1/4 Cup Ghee
- 4 to 6 Cashew Nuts
- 25 Strands Saffron (2 generous pinches)
Instructions
- Warm 2 cups water and add 2 large pinches of saffron strands (about 20 to 25 saffron strands) to it. Set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed vessel, over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup of ghee.
- Break 4 to 6 cashews into quarters and add them to the hot ghee.
- Stir-fry till light golden brown.
- Using a slotted ladle, remove the fried cashews from the ghee and set aside.
- To the ghee, add 1/2 cup coarse Semolina, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Now, add the saffron-infused water and add it to the semolina.
- Mix well and ensure that there are no lumps.
- Cook the mix till the water is absorbed and the semolina is cooked.
- Next, add 1/2 cup sugar and mix well till the sugar melts and is well-absorbed.
- Cook till the ghee leaves the sides.
- Turn off the heat and add the fried cashews.
- Mix well and keep covered for 10 minutes. The ghee that had earlier oozed out of the Rava Kesari will be reabsorbed into it.
- Serve Rava Kesari warm.
Notes
- You get two varieties of Semolina; the very fine one used to make Rava Laddu and the coarser one we use to make Upma. Use the coarse variety to make Rava Kesari.
- Do not stint on the ghee when making this delectable dessert.
Nutrition
Calories: 298 kcalCarbohydrates: 45 gProtein: 4 gFat: 13 gSaturated Fat: 7 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 4 gCholesterol: 29 mgSodium: 13 mgPotassium: 157 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 25 gVitamin A: 33 IUVitamin C: 5 mgCalcium: 13 mgIron: 2 mg
Isn’t that lovely :)!
Happy birthday Sanjana. Good to meet you at Aruna’s space! But I bet we have met otherwise also :).
Aruna, where is my guest post? I have been after you since last year :(. Huh! Cheating! Kidding, but now gear up for mine ;).
Hugs
I knew you would say that, Sonal….. And I am thoroughly ashamed for putting it off. Will do one this month and that is a promise!
;))). Ahhahha..I was pulling your leg and you got trapped ;).
Putting you down for August and then you will have quite a lot of time :).
Hugs!
That’s so easy ! I’ve had rava kesari at South Indian restaurants before and even though I’m not a huge fan of sweets, I absolutely loved it! Going to give this a try. 🙂
Early morning u make me drool:) my al time fav Sweet..looks yum yum yummmmmmmmm
Hey two of my fav ppls in one spot 🙂 thx Sonal for the bday wish..we hv kinda met..i’m a huge fan of your blog along with ms gorgeous smiles of course..oh dear if Aruna’s cheating why do i suddenly feel like I’m the souten hehehe justa jokinnn! 😆😆😆😆
when I was a child (when I still ate wheat and could tolerate gluten) my favorite dish was a hot cereal called “cream of wheat”. Your post brought back lots of memories. I am wondering if I could modify this recipe to use tapioca? We shall try! glyn
Not too sure about tapioca, Glyn!
could be interesting…I will let you know..also wondered whether anyone used anything like cornmeal?
Happy birthday Sanjana! This is better than a cake 🙂
great! my kids will love it, i am surely gonna try this for them
thanks for sharing
yummy recipe will try