pineapple kesari recipe, how to make pineapple kesari recipe

pineapple kesari recipe, how to make pineapple kesari recipe

pineapple kesari recipe with step by step photos – south indian sweet made with sooji/cream of wheat and pineapple.

halwa or kesari which is a pudding like dessert made from sooji/rava is very popular in india during any festive occasions. in north india, sooji halwa is often made during religious occasions. whereas in south india, rava kesari is made. there are a few versions of kesari like milk kesari and fruit kesari.

i had made pineapple kesari on basant panchami (spring festival). usually we prepare a yellow colored sweet dish. mostly its sweet saffron rice. but this time i made this yellow colored pineapple kesari. the color yellow signifies the color of spring. we also do a pooja of goddess saraswati on this day. goddess saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, learning, wisdom, art and creativity.

kesari or halwa is one sweet which is quick as well as easy to prepare. it does not take much time too.

pineapple kesari is best served hot or warm. if you like a sweet breakfast, you can also make kesari for breakfast. you can also serve it as a dessert after your meal. since ghee is added, i would suggest to serve it hot or warm. otherwise the ghee solidifies and you do get a grainy texture from the ghee in the kesari. in this case, just warm the kesari in microwave before serving.

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• ½ cup unroasted rava/sooji/cream of wheat, 120 grams
• ½ cup sugar or add as required
• 1.5 cups water
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 12 to 15 cashews/kaju
• 1 tbsp raisins
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder or 2 to 3 cardamoms crushed in a mortar-pestle
• ¾ cup chopped pineapple, 3 to 4 pineapple slices cut in ½ inch cubes
• 1 to 2 tbsp chopped pineapple for garnish (optional)
• 1 to 2 drops of natural food color (optional) or 10 to 12 strands of saffron (optional)
• 1 to 2 drops of pineapple essence (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. first chop the pineapple in small cubes and keep aside. keep aside.
2. in a pan or sauce pan, take the ¾ cup chopped pineapple, 1.5 cup water and ½ cup sugar.
3. add one or two drops of the natural yellow color extract. you can also add about 10 to 12 strands of saffron to get a yellow color. you can also add pineapple essence for a dominant pineapple flavor.
4. stir well and keep this pan on the stove top and bring to a boil. while simmering, do stir so that the sugar dissolves.
5. meanwhile, in another pan or kadai take 4 tbsp ghee and heat it.
6. then add 12 to 15 cashews.
7. stir and add rava/sooji. stir very well. then add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and stir.
8. stir & saute the rava till the cashews turn a light golden and you see ghee releasing from the sides. takes about 4 to 5 minutes on a low flame. keep on stirring, so the rava does not get browned.
9. by this time, the pineapple + water mixture would also begin to boil.
10. pour the pineapple mixture to the pan with the roasted sooji.
11. stir quickly and briskly so that lumps are not formed.
12. simmer on a low flame and allow the sooji to absorb the water.
13. add raisins. stir well.
14. in just about 4 minutes, the rava will soften up and the pineapple kesari is done. you should not see any creamish specks on the kesari. this means that the rava has not cooked properly.
15. serve pineapple kesari hot as it is or garnished with some pineapple cubes.

NOTES

 

1. the recipe can be doubled.
2. you can also use tinned pineapple slices. but while using tinned pineapple slices, no need to boil them in water. just add them directly