I’m excited about this week recipe, as it’s a twin celebration for me. Yes, it’s Tamil New year and it’s also my better half’s birthday. What could stop me on this occasion to feast you all. If it’s celebration, certainly I would come up with Desserts which is irresistible.
As, it’s dual gala, I came up with a Classic South Indian sweet but with a twist. Are you intrigued? It’s our simple but scrumptious sweet which we term it as Kesari. And the twist is the variations I incorporated in it. I made 3 distinct flavours to create 3 delicacies to surprise you…😍♥️.
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Kesari are basically a sweet pudding made of semolina, milk or water, ghee, sugar and some flavouring agents, finally garnished with nuts and raisins. It derives it’s name from Kesar/saffron as it resembles its colour. Though its preparations and ingredients are modest and down to earth, the end result is splendid and luscious. Kesari is also prevalently prepared and consumed across India under different names like Sooji halwa, Sheera, Kesari bath. It may vary slightly in its ingredients and colouration.
Coming to my 3 variations, I made
- Sweet Nutty flavoured Coconut milk Kesari.
- Vegan, Healthy Poongar rice Kesari.
- Luscious, Creamy Custard Apple Kesari.
Though the preparation remains the same for all the 3 kesaris, the unique ingredients added gives them remarkable result.
I’ll elaborate the ingredients involved in the 3 kesaris in detail.
Note: I’m against using artificial food colours in my food. I hardly use or never use it in my cooking. So, all my 3 kesaris have their natural colouration imbibed from the ingredients added.
- Sweet Nutty flavoured Coconut milk Kesari– I made this with regular semolina sautéed in ghee and cooked in coconut milk and tender coconut water, then sweetened with sugar and garnished with nuts and raisins. I used turmeric powder for natural colouring.
- Vegan, Healthy Poongar rice Kesari-I prepared this with Poongar rice/Women’s rice which I ground to gritty texture like semolina and cooked with coconut oil and jaggery. Here, the rice itself imparts golden brown colour to Kesari. I explained in detail about the health benefits of Women’s Rice in Poongar arisi aval upma and Aval kesari. You can substitute Poongar arisi with any red rice varieties available in the market (follow the same procedure).
- Luscious, Creamy Custard Apple Kesari– this is again semolina and milk based kesari but with the inclusion of Custard Apple it elevates the texture and taste to the next level.
Hope you had an insight about the variations. With no further delay, let’s get into the recipe.
Coconut Milk Kesari
Heat a kadai or deep bottomed pan with ¼ cup ghee. Roast required cashews, finely chopped figs and raisins in it. Once turned brown, remove the nuts and keep it aside.
In the same ghee, roast ½ cup semolina and 1/8 tsp of turmeric powder for 2-3 minutes in medium-low flame.
Meanwhile slightly warm 1 ½ cup thick coconut milk and ½ cup Tender coconut water mixed in a bowl (refer notes for making thick coconut milk).
After roasting semolina, add this warm coconut milk and tender coconut water mixture (refer notes).
Stir well and vigorously to avoid any lumps, then close and cook in low flame for 6 minutes.
After the given time, liquid must have absorbed. Open the lid and stir well. Again, close and cook for another 2 minutes in complete low flame.
By now, semolina would have turned soft and cooked through. Open and add ¾ cup sugar, cardamom powder. Immediately stir vigorously to avoid any lumps as the sugar melts and thin the texture.
Finally add 2 tbsp of ghee or neutral oil. Open and cook in low flame for another 5 minutes.
Keep stirring intermittently to avoid burning in the bottom. It’ll reach a stage where it stops sticking to the bottom and gathers as a single mass. Now switch off the flame.
Garnish with the roasted dry fruits and nuts. While serving, grease a cup or any small mould with ghee, then tightly press and fill the Kesari and flip it on any serving plate or banana leaf.
Sweet, Nutty flavoured Coconut Milk Kesari is ready to serve.
Sweet nuttiness from coconut milk and tender coconut water, enhances the flavors along with ghee and dried fruits. You’ll give up making regular kesari and this will become your to-do list.
Poongar Rice Kesari
Take ½ cup of Poongar/Women’s rice in a bowl. Wash it at least 3 times to remove any dirts. Drain the rice and spread it on a kitchen towel or tissue to remove excess moisture for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
After the given time, dry roast it in medium flame for 4-5 minutes. Rice should pop up and smoke starts coming off.
Switch off the flame and transfer to a plate; let it cool.
Meanwhile, grate or break 1/3-1/2 cup jaggery into small pieces, add very little water and just melt it in a pan. Once melted, strain it to remove any dirts and keep it aside (refer notes).
Once the rice is cooled down, transfer to a mixie jar.
Only pulse it to get rava or grit like texture (as shown in pic). Do not grind the rice as it’ll turn to flour.
Sieve the ground mixture to separate the rava from flour.
Apparently now you can see the gritty texture of rava.
The sieved poongar rice flour is similar to regular rice flour, it can be used for making pancakes, rotis, pakoras, fritters. Store it in a container for future use.
Heat a pan or kadai with 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee or any neutral oil. Roast the rice rava for a minute.
Parallely heat 2 cups of water till it reaches rolling boil.
Lower the flame completely, then add the hot water to the roasted poongar rice rava. Mix well.
Close and cook for 8 minutes in low-medium flame. Open after the given time, little water will be there. Mix it well.
Again, close and cook for another 18-20 minutes in low flame. Once open it and stir in between. After 20 minutes of cooking, rice rava would have cooked (refer notes), now add ¼ tsp Cardamom powder, 1/3-1/2 cup of melted jaggery, combine well for 2 mins.
Finally add 1 tbsp coconut oil, mix and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Now, it gathers as a single mass, this is the right consistency to switch off the flame.
Garnish with roasted nuts of your choice.
Vegan, Healthy Poongar Rice Kesari is ready.
It has a unique nutty flavour from coconut oil and poongar rice, caramelized flavour from jaggery, and the gritty texture of the rice rava. It is a wholesome delight to relish with no regrets.
Custard Apple Kesari
Take one big Custard Apple, if it’s small 2, scoop the inner pulp with seeds on to a strainer with a bowl beneath it, as shown in pic & video.
Using a fork or hand, mash the pulp to remove the seeds. After de-seeding measure the pulp to ½ cup.
Heat a kadai or deep bottomed pan with ¼ cup ghee. Roast required cashews and raisins in it. Once turned brown, remove the nuts and keep it aside.
In the same ghee, roast ½ cup semolina for 2-3 minutes in medium-low flame.
Meanwhile heat 2 cups of milk with a pinch of saffron.
After roasting semolina, lower the flame and add the hot saffron milk (refer notes).
Stir well and vigorously to avoid any lumps, then close and cook in low flame for 3 minutes.
After the given time, milk must have been absorbed. Open the lid and stir well. Again, close and cook for another 5 minutes in same low flame.
By now, semolina would have turned soft and cooked through. Open and add ½ cup sugar and ¼ tsp cardamom powder. Immediately stir vigorously to avoid any lumps as the sugar melts and thins the texture.
Now add the ½ cup of de-seeded Custard Apple. Combine it well.
Finally add 2 tbsp of ghee. Close and cook in low flame for another 7 minutes.
Then open and keep stirring for another 2-3 minutes. It’ll reach a stage where it stops sticking to the bottom and gathers as a single mass. Now switch off the flame.
Garnish with the roasted dry fruits and nuts.
While serving, grease a cup or any small mould with ghee, then tightly press and fill the Kesari and flip it on any serving plate or banana leaf preferably.
Luscious, Creamy Custard Apple Kesari is ready.
Your loved ones will eat this delicacy with gusto. Every scoop will slip through your mouth as a silken treat.
Coconut Milk Kesari
Recipe card
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-18 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Festive Sweets and snacks
Serves: 4
Author: Manimala
Ingredients:
Semolina – ½ cup
Thick coconut milk – 1 ½ cup
Tender coconut water/water – ½ cup
Sugar – ¾ cup
Ghee – ¼ cup
Ghee/oil – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Cashews, Figs & raisins – as required
Instructions:
- Heat a kadai or deep bottomed pan with ¼ cup ghee. Roast required cashews, finely chopped figs and raisins in it. Once turned brown, remove the nuts and keep it aside.
- In the same ghee, roast ½ cup semolina and 1/8 tsp of turmeric powder for 2-3 minutes in medium-low flame.
- Meanwhile slightly warm 1 ½ cup thick coconut milk and ½ cup Tender coconut water mixed in a bowl (refer notes for making thick coconut milk).
- After roasting semolina, add this warm coconut milk and tender coconut water mixture (refer notes).
- Stir well and vigorously to avoid any lumps, then close and cook in low flame for 6 minutes.
- After the given time, liquid must have absorbed. Open the lid and stir well. Again, close and cook for another 2 minutes in complete low flame.
- By now, semolina would have turned soft and cooked through. Open and add ¾ cup sugar, cardamom powder. Immediately stir vigorously to avoid any lumps as the sugar melts and thin the texture.
- Finally add 2 tbsp of ghee or neutral oil. Open and cook in low flame for another 5 minutes.
- Keep stirring intermittently to avoid burning in the bottom. It’ll reach a stage where it stops sticking to the bottom and gathers as a single mass. Now switch off the flame.
- Garnish with the roasted dry fruits and nuts. While serving, grease a cup or any small mould with ghee, then tightly press and fill the Kesari and flip it on any serving plate or banana leaf.
- Sweet, Nutty flavoured Coconut Milk Kesari is ready to serve. Sweet nuttiness from coconut milk and tender coconut water, enhances the flavors along with ghee and dried fruits. You’ll give up making regular kesari and this will become your to-do list.
Poongar Rice Kesari
Recipe card
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Festive Sweets and snacks
Serves: 4
Author: Manimala
Ingredients:
Poongar Rice – ½ cup
Coconut oil – 2+1 tbsp
Jaggery – ⅓ – ½ cup
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Water – 2 cup
Cashews and raisins – as required
Instructions:
- Take ½ cup of Poongar/Women’s rice in a bowl. Wash it at least 3 times to remove any dirts. Drain the rice and spread it on a kitchen towel or tissue to remove excess moisture for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- After the given time, dry roast it in medium flame for 4-5 minutes. Rice should pop up and smoke starts coming off.
- Switch off the flame and transfer to a plate; let it cool.
- Meanwhile, grate or break 1/3-1/2 cup jaggery into small pieces, add very little water and just melt it in a pan. Once melted, strain it to remove any dirts and keep it aside (refer notes).
- Once the rice is cooled down, transfer to a mixie jar, only pulse it to get rava or grit like texture (as shown in pic). Do not grind the rice as it’ll turn to flour.
- Sieve the ground mixture to separate the rava from flour. Apparently now you can see the gritty texture of rava. The sieved poongar rice flour is similar to regular rice flour, it can be used for making pancakes, rotis, pakoras, fritters. Store it in a container for future use.
- Heat a pan or kadai with 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee or any neutral oil. Roast the rice rava for a minute.
- Parallely heat 2 cups of water till it reaches rolling boil.
- Lower the flame completely, then add the hot water to the roasted poongar rice rava. Mix well.
- Close and cook for 8 minutes in low-medium flame. Open after the given time, little water will be there. Mix it well.
- Again, close and cook for another 18-20 minutes in low flame. Once open it and stir in between.
- After 20 minutes of cooking, rice rava would have cooked (refer notes), now add ¼ tsp Cardamom powder, 1/3-1/2 cup of melted jaggery, combine well for 2 mins.
- Finally add 1 tbsp coconut oil, mix and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Now, it gathers as a single mass, this is the right consistency to switch off the flame.
- Garnish with roasted nuts of your choice. Vegan, Healthy Poongar Rice Kesari is ready. It has a unique nutty flavour from coconut oil and poongar rice, caramelized flavour from jaggery, and the gritty texture of the rice rava. It is a wholesome delight to relish with no regrets.
Custard Apple Kesari
Recipe card
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Festive Sweets and snacks
Serves: 4
Author: Manimala
Ingredients:
Custard Apple pulp – ½ cup
Semolina – ½ cup
Full fat milk – 2 cup
Sugar – ½ cup
Ghee – ¼ cup
Saffron – a pinch
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Cashews & raisins – as required
Instructions:
- Take one big Custard Apple, if it’s small 2, scoop the inner pulp with seeds on to a strainer with a bowl beneath it, as shown in pic & video.
- Using a fork or hand, mash the pulp to remove the seeds. After de-seeding measure the pulp to ½ cup.
- Heat a kadai or deep bottomed pan with ¼ cup ghee. Roast required cashews and raisins in it. Once turned brown, remove the nuts and keep it aside.
- In the same ghee, roast ½ cup semolina for 2-3 minutes in medium-low flame.
- Meanwhile heat 2 cups of milk with a pinch of saffron.
- After roasting semolina, lower the flame and add the hot saffron milk (refer notes).
- Stir well and vigorously to avoid any lumps, then close and cook in low flame for 3 minutes.
- After the given time, milk must have been absorbed. Open the lid and stir well. Again, close and cook for another 5 minutes in same low flame.
- By now, semolina would have turned soft and cooked through. Open and add ½ cup sugar and ¼ tsp cardamom powder. Immediately stir vigorously to avoid any lumps as the sugar melts and thins the texture.
- Now add the ½ cup of de-seeded Custard Apple. Combine it well.
- Finally add 2 tbsp of ghee. Close and cook in low flame for another 7 minutes.
- Then open and keep stirring for another 2-3 minutes.
- It’ll reach a stage where it stops sticking to the bottom and gathers as a single mass. Now switch off the flame.
- Garnish with the roasted dry fruits and nuts. While serving, grease a cup or any small mould with ghee, then tightly press and fill the Kesari and flip it on any serving plate or banana leaf preferably.
- Luscious, Creamy Custard Apple Kesari is ready. Your loved ones will eat this delicacy with gusto. Every scoop will slip through your mouth as a silken treat.
Notes:
- Take 3/4 cup of grated coconut and grind it in a jar with warm water to extract 1 ½ cup of thick milk.
- Extracting the coconut milk from fresh coconut differs from the frozen grated coconut. You need to defrost frozen coconut and then add hot water to grind.
- I used ½ cup of tender coconut water. Alternatively, you can use normal water.
- When you add hot liquid to roasted rava, make sure the flame is low. As hot rava tends to splatter a lot when hot liquid is added.
- In Poongar rice Kesari, I mentioned 1/3 – ½ cup jaggery, as the sweet requirement differs person to person. You decide the quantity as per your palate’s requirement.
- After 20 minutes of cooking, Poongar rice rava, if you feel it’s still not cooked, either add little water or keep it closed and cook for few more minutes.
- In Custard Apple Kesari, if you do not want milk, can replace it with water.
- Also, you can replace Custard Apple with Mango as season is heading.
- Similarly, in the above Kesaris, if you want to convert into vegan, skip adding ghee, milk. Replace, ghee with coconut oil or any neutral oil. Milk with water or any plant extract milk of your choice.
- Feel free to adjust sugar and ghee as per your requirement. I’m a moderate sweet eating person, if you have a strong sweet tooth, then increase sugar accordingly. Always add in portions to have a control while adding.