Kesari

Kesari in the south, halwa in the north, this moist glistening golden winter sweet lightly infused with saffron and studded with nuts & raisins is a warming dessert!

Ingredients 2 cups cream of wheat 4 – 5 cups of water 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 6 tbsp unsalted butter ¼ cup sliced almonds ¼ cup raisins

Spice Mix 1/4 tsp saffron strands 2 tbsp milk

Serves 4-6 Pots n pans Large saucepan Large frypan

Method
• Heat milk and add saffron strands. Let sit while you finish preparing kesari.

• In saucepan heat 1 tsp butter and roast sliced almonds and raisins together till golden brown. Transfer to plate and let cool.

• In same saucepan, add 1 tsp butter and add cream of wheat. Keep stirring cream of wheat till roasted all over & you get a nice fragrance. At this point you may be tempted by the fragrance to put your spoon down & just eat the cream of wheat but Wait!! Set aside to cool. Mix with roasted nuts and raisins.

• Measure water in saucepan and let come to boil. More water if your cream of wheat is coarse, less water if cream of wheat is fine. Pour roasted cream of wheat mixture onto boiling water, give it a couple of stirs, turn off stove and cover pan with lid to let cook.

• Melt butter in separate large frypan and add brown sugar to it. On medium heat keep stirring sugar till it carmelizes. SOS I used a cream of wheat to sugar ratio of 1 : 3/4 to get a lightly sweet dessert. If you like heavily sweetened you can go with a 1:1 ration.

• Pour the cooked cream of wheat mixture onto the carmelized sugar, add the saffron milk, remaining butter and stir everything together.

• Pour into moulds of your choice and serve warm with ginger clove chai.

Fun facts
I like to make desserts for friends and family even though my personal preference is for spicy food!! No surprises there 🙂  Kesari (from kesar or saffron) is a popular dessert that’s popularly served in southern Indian households when young men come to seek the hand of a young woman. Ostensibly the girl makes this delicious sweet & the guy enjoys it thoroughly.. IThese days I ‘m a little bit in love with carmelized sugar so tried a carmelized version of kesari which I hope you’ll enjoy..

–soul of spice–

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