Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena
PrepTime:5 mins CookTime:20 mins Cuisine: Indian
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Hi readers, this is yet another, simple yet authentic South Indian dessert recipe made within minutes and with zero prep work. Just read along do try it for sure! 🙂

Table of Contents:
- What is Rava Kesari?
- Are ‘Rava Kesari & Halwa’ the same?
- Things to remember while making, ‘Rava Kesari / Semolina Pudding’:
- Other recipes from my blog:
- Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Rava kesari / Kesari Bath / Semolina Halwa / Semolina Pudding’:
- Prep Work:
- Cooking:
- Tips:
- Result:
- Ingredients, Accessories on ‘AMAZON’ to ‘SHOP’:
- Recipe Card & Print:

What is Rava Kesari?
Rava Kesari / Semolina Pudding / Kesari Bath is a very popular Indian dessert made with ease and comfort. Its basically because of the very few ingredients used, that are readily available in any kitchen.
Are ‘Rava Kesari & Halwa’ the same?
In my opinion, both are the same. Rava Kesari is the South Indian recipe of North Indian Halwa recipe. But, Kesari has an extra ingredient added, that’s the orange food colour.
Kesari is the name given to Orange colour as like that of Saffron. In Hindu Mythology, the name Kesari is given to Lord Hanuman.
Hence, I surely make this dessert as an offering to Lord Hanuman on Hanuman Jayanthi (birthday). You might check my Hanuman Jayathi festive platter here⇒ Hanuman Jayanthi Bhojanam/ Festive Platter

Things to remember while making, ‘Rava Kesari / Semolina Pudding’:
I have used unrefined cane sugar which is better than refined white sugar.
Please bear in mind, semolina / rava it is NOT Gluten free. Hence, this recipe doesn’t suit for celiac diet.
But, Vegans will have to replace the ghee, with plant based butter / even coconut oil would work well.
If you wish to skip adding the food colour, just add more of saffron strands instead.

Other recipes from my blog:
Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.
Dessert recipes collection⇒ Desserts / Mithayi
Festive Recipes collection⇒ Traditional Indian Recipes for Festivals / Panduga Nayivedyalu
Related Posts:
- Carrot Rava Laddoo / Carrot Semolina Sweet Balls
- Mamidikaya Pulihora / Raw Mango Rice
- Chakkera Pongali / Sweetened Rice
- Hanuman Jayanthi Bhojanam/ Festive Platter
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Ingredients:
- Semolina / Rava / Sooji – 1 cup
- Sugar – 1¼ cup
- Ghee / Butter – [½ cup + 1 tablespoon]
- Water – 2½ cups
- Dry fruits & Nuts – ¼ cup
- Red/ Orange Food Colour – ¼ teaspoon
- Powdered Cardamom/ Elaichi – ½ teaspoon
- Saffron Strands / Kumkuma Puvvu – 7 to 8
Special Ingredients:
- Ghee/ Butter
- Red / Orange Food Colour

Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Rava kesari / Kesari Bath / Semolina Halwa / Semolina Pudding’:
Prep Work:
- Firstly, take a wide plate / tray and apply ghee throughout. Set aside.
- Chop the nuts you have chosen to add. Set aside.
- Grease a wise plate with ghee / butter, put aside.
- Take the food colour into a small cup of water and mix well.
Cooking:






Tips:
- You can add any dry fruits & nuts of your choice.
- Vegans, can use vegan butter or coconut oil in the place of ghee that I used.
- Be careful, not to burn the dry fruits, nuts & rava while pan frying.
- While pouring the rava / semolina into the hot boiling water, please be careful and at the same time keep stirring continuously to avoid any lumps.
- You can have this dessert as single piece wise or in a cup as shown below.
- Storage: It stays good for up to 2 days at room temperature. But up to a week when stored in fridge. Just re-heat before serving.
Result:
- The taste of this, rava kesari / semolina pudding dessert is of course sweet and delightful to eat.
- The texture is very soft except for the dry fruits and nuts.
- Recently, I made this dessert for our Ugadi Panduga Bhojanam / Telugu New Year Festive Platter

Ingredients, Accessories on ‘AMAZON’ to ‘SHOP’:
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Recipe Card & Print:

Rava Kesari / Kesari Bath / Semolina Pudding (without milk)
Equipment
- Sauce Pan / Vessel (for stove-top method)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Semolina / Rava / Sooji
- 1¼ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Ghee / Butter [extra 1 tablespoons for frying the nuts]
- 2½ cup Water
- ¼ cup Dry fruits & Nuts
- ¼ teaspoon Red / Orange Food Colour
- ½ teaspoon Powdered Cardamom / Elaichi
- 7 to 8 Saffron Strands / Kumkuma Puvvu
Instructions
PREP WORK:
- Firstly, take a wide plate / tray and apply ghee throughout. Set aside. Chop the nuts you have chosen to add. Set aside.Grease a wise plate with ghee / butter, put aside.Take the food colour into a small cup of water and mix well.
COOKING:
- Put a wide bottom pan on stove top under medium flame. Add a tablespoon of ghee / butter and chopped nuts & dry fruits. Fry them into golden brown, remove them from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the rava/ semolina and pan fry for 2-3 mins until it releases a pleasant aroma. Take the fried, semolina/rava into a separate plate.
- Return the pan to the stove top, add the water and bring to boil. Once the water boils and forms bubbles, turn the flame to lowest possible.At this stage, add the food colouring water, cardamom powder, saffron strands to the pan and give a gentle mix.
- Now, with the left hand keep pouring in the roasted rava/ semolina/ sooji, very slowly little by little at a time.Simultaneously with your right hand, gently keep mixing the water and rava/ semolina.
- Repeat the same until all the rava/ semolina is emptied into the pan.Close the pan with lid for about 3-4 mins.
- Later, add the sugar, ghee into the pan, give everything a thorough mix.
- Now, add the saffron strands. Let the flame be on until the content leaves the side of the pan. It takes 5 mins. You might serve just like this.
- At this stage, switch the flame off and transfer the whole content onto a greased plate.Leave it for 10-15 mins to set hard, then cut into desired shape. Done!!
Notes
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Looks so beautiful & delicious !
Thank you so much Megala! 🙂
Lovely colour n texture ..delicious bhaat
Wow! Nice to see your mssg, in my blog, ji. Thanks a loooot! 🙂