Milk Kesari / Paal Kesari / Milk Rava Kesari / Rava Kesari Using Milk / Semolina Pudding / Sooji Halwa

Whenever people drop in or when we call people for virunthu(we invite newly married couples for lunch or dinner), the first sweet which amma makes is kesari. I have few recipes for kesari in this blog like rava kesari, pineapple kesari and semiya kesari. Kesari is a staple southindian sweet, it is so simple to make. But sometimes if you miss a measurement or add less ghee, then kesari can turn out so sticky.

For me kesari should have a good amount of ghee. So when you have a spoonful of it, it should just slip off your tongue and fall it without sticking anywhere. This recipe is a modification from our regular rava kesari. Instead of water, i added milk. And i added some saffron and lots of fried nuts in it. I even cooked this kesari a little longer so i made pieces out of it.I hope you will try this out and let me know how it turned out..

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 35 to 40 mins
Serves - 5 to 6

Ingredients:

Sooji / Rava /Semolina - ½ cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Milk - 2 cup
Ghee / Clarified Butter - ½ cup
Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp
Saffron - a pinch
Nuts & Dried Fruits - ½ cup ( Almonds,Cashews & Sultanas)


Method:

In a tsp of ghee fry the nuts and dried fruits till golden. Set aside.

Take a non stick kadai and heat a tsp of ghee. Add in sooji and fry for a couple of mins.

Now add in milk and mix well continously so lumps are formed.

Once everything is mixed well. Cover the pan and cook on a very low flame for 10 mins till all milk is absorbed and the sooji is cooked.

Now add in sugar and mix well. The mixture will turn runny again. 

Now keep stirring so nothing sticks to the pan. Add in cardamom and saffron. Mix well.

Now add in half of the ghee and stir continously. Once it is absorbed, add in the food colouring and mix well.

Add the remaining ghee and mix well. Add the fried nuts also.

Once the mixtures leaves the sides of the pan and come together as a mass.

Now pour this in a greased plate and allow it to set for 15 mins, or you can serve by scooping it into individual bowls.

Once the kesari is set, cut into squares and serve..


Notes:

1)While adding milk stir continously so no lumps are formed. If you are nervous about this, you can boil the milk separately and pour that in while mixing. This will avoid formation of lumps.
2) The amount of ghee depends on your taste. Adding ½ cup of ghee will give good taste and texture. You can reduce it as you like.

3) Roasting rava is important, Even though you buy roasted sooji, give a good couple of mins roast in ghee. That will give good aroma.

4) Sugar level also depends on taste. 1 cup of sugar makes a medium sweet kesari and i love it this way. You can increase the sugar level if you like it too sweet.


Pictorial:

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Take all your ingredients

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Fry up your mixture of nuts

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Heat ghee in a nonstick pan

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Add in sooji

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Fry for a couple of mins

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Add in milk

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Mix well so no lumps are formed

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Cover and cook

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Till the milk is completely absorbed

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Now add in sugar

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Mix well

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Add in saffron and cardamom powder

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Mix well

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Add in half of the ghee

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Add a pinch of food colour

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Mix well

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Now add the remaining ghee

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Cook till it leaves the sides of the pan

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Cook Cook Cook

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Add the fried nuts

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Mix well

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Pour it in a greased pan

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Cut and Serve