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.
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.
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?
- 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.
- Roasting rava in ghee until slightly crunchy and aromatic is also important. This prevents the dish from turning sticky and makes it really delicious.
- 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.
2. Add 12 raisins and fry until they turn plump. Remove them to a plate.
3. Next pour the 1 cup rava. Mix well to coat the rava in ghee.
4. Begin to roast the rava well on a low to medium heat until crunchy and slightly aromatic. Do not brown it.
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.
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.
7. There should be no lumps.
8. Continue to cook stirring consistently until the water is absorbed completely.
9. Lower the flame and cook covered for 2 to 3 mins.
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.
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.
12. Next add 3 to 4 tbsp ghee. I used 3 tbsp.
13. Mix well and continue to cook until the mixture leaves the pan. Cook covered for 2 mins. This is optional.
Garnish rava kesari with nuts and raisins. You can fluff up with a fork.
Related Recipes
Recipe card
Rava kesari (kesari bath)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
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)
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.
Notes
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)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Adarsh Vijay says
I made a huge batch and kept it in the fridge. How long will it last before it goes bad?
swasthi says
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.
LAKSHMI BHATHENA says
This dish turned out super delicious !!! And my husband loved it too !!!!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe Swasthi :):)
swasthi says
Welcome Lakshmi
Glad to know! Thank you
Gangka says
Challa bagunthi mee recipelu. ?
swasthi says
Thank you so much!
🙂
Sowmya says
I made kesari bath today. I must say Your recipies never go wrong….
swasthi says
Thank you Sowmya
🙂
Nur Farhana says
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?
Nur Farhana says
For your information, I added half of both milk and water when making it.
swasthi says
Welcome Nur
I think I am late. You can store it in the fridge for 2 days.
Abijesh says
Swasthi Madam , May I have your phone number or email address
swasthi says
You can find my email id in the about page
Abijesh says
Hi i tried the kesari. It came out really well.
swasthi says
Glad to know!
Srinivas Doddaiah says
I am prepared kesari bath today morning
swasthi says
Thank you
bhuvaneshwari says
This came really very tasty
Thank you?
swasthi says
You are welcome
Reshma says
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
swasthi says
Hi Reshma
Yes you can use turmeric
Arden says
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!
swasthi says
Hi Arden,
You are welcome! Glad you found it.
Shirly Vijayan says
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
swasthi says
Hi Shirly Vijayan,
You are most welcome. Glad you liked the recipes. Thanks much for the comment. Hope you enjoy more recipes from here!
🙂
Fathima says
This was a convinient recipe and it turned out well in my first try. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
swasthi says
Welcome Fathima
Glad you liked it!
Dhivya bharathi says
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!!!!
swasthi says
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!
🙂
Vaidehi says
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.
swasthi says
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.
Vaidehi says
Thank you Akka. I made today. It came nice ?
Lekshmi says
Thanks for your help
swasthi says
Welcome Lekshmi
Ashley says
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.
swasthi says
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.
Usha says
Love rava kesari. I always visit your site for measurements. Turns out awesome.
swasthi says
Thanks usha
Madhavi says
Tried this came out good. Thanks for the recipe. Pls share bhel puri recipe
swasthi says
Welcome Madhavi
Rheena says
Thanks Swasthi. Turned out perfect! I reduced the sugar to scant 3/4 cup and used 1/2 milk+water. Yummers!
swasthi says
Welcome Rheena
Thanks for the comment.
Ann says
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 ☺️
swasthi says
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.
🙂