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Home >> Recipes >> Sweet Recipes

Rava kesari recipe (Kesari bath)

By swasthi , on January 31, 2020, 86 Comments, Jump to Recipe

Rava kesari recipe – Also known as kesari bath, this is a quick mouth melting South Indian dessert made of semolina, sugar, ghee and nuts. This recipe will yield you delicious, flavorful, soft and fluffy rava kesari just under 25 mins.

rava kesari

What is rava kesari?

Rava kesari is a popular sweet dish from South Indian cuisine made of rava or suji, ghee, sugar, kesari and nuts. Rava means semolina and kesari means saffron color, the key ingredient that brightens up the dish.

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It is made often in most house holds due to its simplicity. It is eaten as a breakfast dessert or as a after meal dessert.

This is most commonly offered as naivedyam to the Hindu gods or deities during pooja, festivals & auspicious days like Ganesh chaturthi, Navratri, krishna ashtami etc.

Rava kesari is similar to the Sheera or Suji halwa. In some parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra this is called as Sheera. But these are made without color.

Rava kesari is also known as kesari bath in Karnataka. This is a popular dish served in tiffin centers of Karnataka. It is pretty much served in a meal platter & in a breakfast platter.

Chow chow bath is one such platter where khara bath & kesari bath are served with coriander coconut chutney.

This rava kesari is made without any unhealthy food color, a fat pinch of saffron has been used. If you do not have saffron, you can use natural edible color.

How to make best rava kesari?

  1. The key to making best rava kesari lies in the ratio of rava, water and ghee. The proportions shared below yield soft, light and fluffy kesari that isn’t too greasy.
  2. Roasting rava in ghee until slightly crunchy and aromatic is also important. This prevents the dish from turning sticky and makes it really delicious.
  3. Stirring consistently while pouring water to the rava is very important as it prevents lumps.

Originally rava kesari is made with fine semolina known as bombay rava. But many households now a days even use golden fine wheat rava or fine bansi rava to make this. The flavor of the one made with whole wheat rava is different from semolina.

If you prefer to use the whole grain rava, then use 3 cups water.

Can you use milk to make rava kesari?

Yes, milk can be used instead of water. I personally prefer to use half water and half milk. Using only milk makes the sweet heavy.

Varieties

There are many variations of rava kesari like kesari bath, pala kesari, pineapple kesari, mango kesari, semiya kesari or fruit kesari recipe. Here are a few I have shared on the blog
Pineapple kesari
Orange kesari
Fruit kesari
Milk kesari

Semiya kesari

On occasions we also serve this rava kesari with savory snacks like
Mysore bonda
Goli baje
masala vada
dal vada

Preparation for kesari bath

1. Heat 2 table spoons of ghee in a heavy bottom pot. Split open 12 cashew nuts and clean them. Fry them until slightly golden.

frying cashews to make rava kesari recipe

2. Add 12 raisins and fry until they turn plump. Remove them to a plate.

frying raisins to make rava kesari

3. Next pour the 1 cup rava. Mix well to coat the rava in ghee.

Mixing rava with ghee to make rava kesari recipe

4. Begin to roast the rava well on a low to medium heat until crunchy and slightly aromatic. Do not brown it.

roasting suji to make rava kesari recipe

5. While the semolina is getting roasted, bring 2½ cups water to a boil in a pot. You can also use milk or a mix of both. Kesari bath is mostly made with water and not milk.

boiling water in a pot for rava kesari recipe
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How to make kesari

6. When the water comes to a rolling boil, pour it to the rava slowly in a stream. Stirring consistently with the other hand. Make sure the flame is medium at this stage.

pouring suji in a stream for rava kesari recipe

7. There should be no lumps.

check lumps

8. Continue to cook stirring consistently until the water is absorbed completely.

water is absorbed
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9. Lower the flame and cook covered for 2 to 3 mins.

cooking covered

10. Add ¾ to 1 cup sugar and mix well. I use 1 cup. If you prefer low sweet, then add lesser. Sugar melts and makes the mixture gooey. Then continue to cook until all the moisture evaporates.

adding sugar to sweeten rava kesari

11. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder and kesari color. I used 2 pinches of saffron soaked in 2 tbsps hot water. If you do not have the kesari, just skip it.

flavor with cardamom powder

12. Next add 3 to 4 tbsp ghee. I used 3 tbsp.

pouring ghee to rava kesari

13. Mix well and continue to cook until the mixture leaves the pan. Cook covered for 2 mins. This is optional.

cook covered for a while
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Garnish rava kesari with nuts and raisins. You can fluff up with a fork.

rava kesari recipe

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Recipe card

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rava kesari recipe

Rava kesari (kesari bath)

Rava kesari also known as kesari bath is a popular south Indian breakfast dessert made of semolina, ghee,saffron,nuts and sugar. Rava meaning semolina and kesari refers to saffron color. It is flavored with cardamom powder. 
Pin Recipe Print Recipe

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings4 people
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 1 cup semolina or fine rava or suji
  • ¾ to 1 cup sugar (prefer organic)
  • 2 ½ cups water or milk (refer notes)
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder or elaichi powder
  • 2 pinches natural kesari color or saffron strands
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons Ghee or clarified butter (I used 5 tbsps)
  • 12 Cashews (use as needed)
  • 12 raisins (use as needed)
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Instructions

Preparation

  • Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottom pot and fry cashews until light golden.
  • Then add raisins and fry until they swell up. Remove to a plate and set aside.
  • In the same ghee add the rava and fry on a low to medium heat until aromatic and crunchy.
  • Do not brown or discolor the rava as the aroma of the rava kesari will change.
  • While the rava is getting roasted, pour water to another pot and bring it to a boil.

How to make rava kesari

  • When the water turns boiling hot, slowly pour it to the rava by consistently stirring to prevent lumps. 
  • The water will be absorbed by the semolina soon. Keep stirring and make sure there are no lumps.
  • When you see there is no excess water in the pan, then cover and cook on a low flame for 2 to 3 mins. This is just to ensure rava is cooked completely and turns fluffy.
  • Add sugar and mix well. Sugar will dissolve and the entire rava kesari mixture turns gooey.
  •  Keep stirring and cook until the mixture thickens and the moisture is evaporated.
  • Then sprinkle cardamom powder, saffron or kesari and ghee. I used about 3 tbsp ghee. 
  • Mix well and cook for 2 to 3 mins until the rava kesari leaves the pan. Cover and rest for 2 to 4 mins.
  • Grease a mould or round cup and then scoop some rava kesari to it. Level the top.
  • Invert the bowl or mould to a plate. Gently shake off.
  • Garnish rava kesari with cashews and nuts.
  • You can also fluff up the rava kesari with a fork to make it fluffy.
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Notes

How much water to use for rava kesari?
Most people prefer to use 2½ cups water. Usually rava or suji absorbs about 3 cups of water for 1 cup of rava to yield a soft kesari with a mouth melting texture.
Using 3 cups will give a melt in the mouth texture but make sure to use enough ghee as mentioned in the recipe.
Do not reduce the ghee otherwise rava kesari will turn sticky.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Rava kesari (kesari bath)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 304 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 25mg8%
Sodium 6mg0%
Potassium 79mg2%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 4g8%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

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About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  2. Adarsh Vijay says

    November 2, 2020

    5 stars
    I made a huge batch and kept it in the fridge. How long will it last before it goes bad?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 3, 2020

      It keeps good for 3 to 4 days. If you have made without milk then you can also freeze it for 2 to 3 month.

      Reply
  3. LAKSHMI BHATHENA says

    October 26, 2020

    5 stars
    This dish turned out super delicious !!! And my husband loved it too !!!!
    Thank you for this wonderful recipe Swasthi :):)

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 28, 2020

      Welcome Lakshmi
      Glad to know! Thank you

      Reply
  4. Gangka says

    September 12, 2020

    5 stars
    Challa bagunthi mee recipelu. ?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      September 12, 2020

      Thank you so much!
      🙂

      Reply
  5. Sowmya says

    August 4, 2020

    5 stars
    I made kesari bath today. I must say Your recipies never go wrong….

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 6, 2020

      Thank you Sowmya
      🙂

      Reply
  6. Nur Farhana says

    July 9, 2020

    5 stars
    Hi Madam. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. I made Rava Kesari for the first time on my own and it came out very well. May I know how long I can store it?

    Reply
    • Nur Farhana says

      July 9, 2020

      For your information, I added half of both milk and water when making it.

      Reply
      • swasthi says

        July 10, 2020

        Welcome Nur
        I think I am late. You can store it in the fridge for 2 days.

        Reply
  7. Abijesh says

    June 6, 2020

    Swasthi Madam , May I have your phone number or email address

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 6, 2020

      You can find my email id in the about page

      Reply
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  9. Abijesh says

    June 6, 2020

    Hi i tried the kesari. It came out really well.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 6, 2020

      Glad to know!

      Reply
  10. Srinivas Doddaiah says

    April 11, 2020

    I am prepared kesari bath today morning

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      April 11, 2020

      Thank you

      Reply
  11. bhuvaneshwari says

    April 3, 2020

    5 stars
    This came really very tasty
    Thank you?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      April 3, 2020

      You are welcome

      Reply
  12. Reshma says

    March 18, 2020

    Hi, I just wanted to make something sweet with items available at every home
    I found this, I will try this and will tell the feedback
    I just want yo know,whether I can use pinch of turmeric powder for color rather than the artificial color

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      March 18, 2020

      Hi Reshma
      Yes you can use turmeric

      Reply
  13. Arden says

    February 22, 2020

    Thank you for this recipe! I had this at a vegetarian restaurant and wanted to make it at home, didn’t know THIS was the sweet!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      February 28, 2020

      Hi Arden,
      You are welcome! Glad you found it.

      Reply
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  15. Shirly Vijayan says

    November 16, 2019

    Well I started using your recipe by making prawns biriyani. It turned out very well. Also the ingredients used are very simple. Now I have started preparing many more dishes and each one turns out very tasty. Thank you so much for sharing the recipes

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 16, 2019

      Hi Shirly Vijayan,
      You are most welcome. Glad you liked the recipes. Thanks much for the comment. Hope you enjoy more recipes from here!
      🙂

      Reply
  16. Fathima says

    October 24, 2019

    5 stars
    This was a convinient recipe and it turned out well in my first try. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 25, 2019

      Welcome Fathima
      Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  17. Dhivya bharathi says

    August 23, 2019

    I’m newly married and zero in cooking. Started cooking (learnt cooking) by alluding your recipes. First recipe, which i cooked from urs is vegetable kuruma. It was tasty. Thank you!!!!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 24, 2019

      Hi Dhivya,
      You are welcome. Happy to know you could learn to cook from my recipes. Thank you! Hope you enjoy more recipes from here!
      🙂

      Reply
  18. Vaidehi says

    August 21, 2019

    Hi Akka,
    2 week ago by mistake I put 1 cup ghee to fry 1 cup rava. Got confused with sugar and ghee measurements because I was making multiple foods. I was in a hurry so kept it in the fridge not knowing what to do. Today I took out to see if I can make kesari. The ghee has become solid. I feel so sad to throw so much ghee. Please help can I make something with this if not kesari. TIA.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 21, 2019

      Hi Vaidehi,
      You don’t need to throw it. Yes you can use the rava. Keep the jar out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Then take half of it and add to a kadai along with another 3/4 cup fresh rava. Fry everything together and use the same for making kesari. You will have 1 & 1/4 cup rava so you will have to use about 1 cup sugar and 3 cups water ( may be 2 tbsps more). Use the other half of the rava another time.Hope this helps.

      Reply
      • Vaidehi says

        August 23, 2019

        Thank you Akka. I made today. It came nice ?

        Reply
  19. Lekshmi says

    June 21, 2019

    Thanks for your help

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 21, 2019

      Welcome Lekshmi

      Reply
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  21. Ashley says

    April 28, 2019

    5 stars
    Hi Swasthi,
    I am a non-Indian living in India for 5 years. Your blog has been a great help ever since I started cooking Indian food for my Indian family. Your recipes are awesome and friendly for new cooks. I made your rava kesari today and my toddler loves it. I also added orange juice with 1 cup of mixed fruits following your other recipes. It turned out fantastic. I have made a lot of recipes from here and my family loves them. I plan to try your malai kofta tonight. Thank you very much for inspiring me. God bless you & your family.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      April 28, 2019

      Hi Ashley,
      You are welcome. Thank you so much for the wishes. You made my day! Very happy to know my recipes have been useful. Yes! orange juice and mixed fruits.. Love the combo. I haven’t tried both of them together yet. Sounds so good.Hope you will love the malai kofta. God bless! Happy Sunday. Thanks again.

      Reply
  22. Usha says

    April 3, 2019

    5 stars
    Love rava kesari. I always visit your site for measurements. Turns out awesome.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      April 28, 2019

      Thanks usha

      Reply
  23. Madhavi says

    February 4, 2019

    2 stars
    Tried this came out good. Thanks for the recipe. Pls share bhel puri recipe

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      April 28, 2019

      Welcome Madhavi

      Reply
  24. Rheena says

    November 5, 2018

    5 stars
    Thanks Swasthi. Turned out perfect! I reduced the sugar to scant 3/4 cup and used 1/2 milk+water. Yummers!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 6, 2018

      Welcome Rheena
      Thanks for the comment.

      Reply
  25. Ann says

    October 27, 2018

    5 stars
    Dear swasthi
    Delicious! I used a bit of turmeric as I did not have saffron or Color and cardamom powder. It turned out beautiful and delicious . Thank you ☺️

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 27, 2018

      Hi Ann
      Happy to know the rava kesari turned out delicious. Actually you can skip the saffron or any orange color. It still turns out good. Loved the idea of turmeric, will try that soon. Thanks for the comment.
      🙂

      Reply
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