Easy Rawa Kesari

How to make easy Rawa Kesari 

              It just dawned upon me that there are many basic easy recipes that are missing from my blog like the humble Kesari. So here goes an easy method that doesn't require technical stirring & standing next to it for a long time for the dish to be complete. This recipe was inspired by the Rawa Pongal recipe by Mrs. Revathi Shanmugam. The technique is a little different here though. One important thing to note - If the rawa & the sugar water are not piping hot while mixing, it might get sticky & lumpy. My recipe makes a mildly sweet Kesari. You can increase the sugar to 1 cup if you like it sweeter. So here's a quick recipe for you to try this Navrathri season or just any time of the year.

Ingredients for about 6 servings:

          For the sugar syrup

·  3/4 cup sugar

·  1.5 cups water

·  1/8 tsp, cardamom/elaichi powder

·  a pinch of salt

  

  For roasting the rava

·  1/4 cup or 4 tbsp ghee

·  1/2 cup rawa /sooji

·  8-10 cashew-nuts, broken

.  1 tbsp, raisins (optional)

Easy Rawa Kesari

Stovetop method:

• Take a heavy bottom pan or a pressure cooker and add the water, sugar, cardamom powder, and a pinch of salt. You can add saffron or food coloring if desired. Light the stove & let it heat. 
• Set another pan on the stove over medium heat. Add in the ghee, cashew-nuts and the rawa and fry until golden & aromatic. The ghee will initially bubble up on the sides of the pan during roasting. Keep stirring and take care not to let it burn.

• We will be working simultaneously using two stoves - when the sugar mixture comes to a rolling boil, the rawa will also be roasted. If the sugar mixture starts boiling before the rawa is roasted, just put the sugar mixture on simmer.
• When the sugar mixture comes to a rolling boil, we are ready to add in the rawa. Carefully add in the roasted hot rawa slowly into the boiling sugar water mixture, taking care not to let the hot liquid splash on you. Immediately after adding rawa, mix well and cover the pan/cooker with the lid and switch off the heat. (If there are any vents on the lid, make sure you cover them with a kitchen towel or use the weight if using a pressure cooker – so we do not let the steam escape. 

• Keep it covered tightly for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, open and mix the Kesari well. The rawa would have absorbed all the moisture and swelled up, glistening with ghee and totally lump free.
• The Kesari is best served warm or at room temperature. You can store the Kesari in the fridge for up to a week.

Sharing this recipe from my diary with my fellow bloggers at SriValli's CCC #49 Sep Week 4.