Fruit Kesari

Kesari/Fruit Kesari/Rawa Kesari/Rawai Kesari/Semolina Halwa /Semolina halwa/rawa kesri/rawa halwa.

Kesari is a classical Indian Dessert with a perfect balance & blend of rawai/semolina,sugar and ghee. Although simple ingredients are involved, great care has to be taken to make it the right way and to get the authentic taste. Amma always cautioned that a  simple dessert like this one may get  complicated if due care is not taken. 

Today`s preparation is a little variation with the addition of fruits. Fresh fruits are diced and sautéed in ghee/clarified butter and cooked along with lightly roasted rawai and sugar topped with ghee and flavored with cardamom.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup grapes cut lengthwise( I used the green seedless variety).
2. 1/2 cup sliced bananas
3. 1cup small bite sized cut pineapple
4.  1 cup rawai/semolina/sujji
5. 1 cup sugar
6. 3 cups water 
7. 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder 
8. 1/2 cup ghee
9. few strands of saffron 
   
10. yellow food color (optional) 
11. few cashews  

Procedure:

1. In a pan heat a tablespoon of ghee and slowly roast the rawai on medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. In the same pan heat another tablespoon of ghee and roast the cashews to a light brown color and set aside.
3. Heat another tablespoon of ghee and  tsautéhe fruits until they become soft and mushy. Now add the water and sugar. Bring it to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
   
4. Slowly add the roasted rawai and stir until it becomes a nice halwa consistency OR a non-sticky paste. 
5. Add the food color 3 tablespoons ghee and stir. Now add roasted cashews and cardamom powder. Also add the saffron soaked in warm milk and pour the rest of the ghee on top and stir once. 
6.  Add the saffron soaked in warm milk and pour the rest of the ghee on top and stir once. Serve warm.