RAVA KESARI (SOJJI)

February 14th is Valentines Day and this dish goes out to my 5 year old daughter who is the biggest fan of this dish

RAVA KESARI (SOJJI)

Rava Kesari also known as Sojji in Tamilnadu. Sojji is a simple, easy to make and very enjoyable sweet. "Easy to make" is an under statement, as; if the proportion of the ingredients is not correct; the Kesari will come out either too pasty or too dry. If the flame is too strong the sojji wont come out well. So, here’s the recipe for a perfect kesari (sojji). I had earlier blogged in the recipe of Strawberry kesari /sheera in my blog, Sukanya's Musings (Click on the link to check it out.)
Here I would like to mention the Sheera made by the Maharashtrian Brahmins for Prasad for the Satyanarayan Pooja ceremony. It will always be so perfect wherever you go, whichever Satyanarayana Pooja you go to, not so pasty, separate and rich and exotic with loads of ghee. When we had the Satyanarayana pooja at home, I asked the Brahmin who made it how we does and he said that we take 1 ¼ cup of Semolina, ghee and sugar. I did want to try it but when it came to pouring the ghee I didn’t have the heart to pour so much, thinking of the calories and how many kilometers I will have to walk to burn it. So I sacrificed on the ghee and the result was a disaster.

Since my daughter is a huge Sojji / Kesari / Sheera fan, I searched and searched for the perfect recipe that would make my daughter compliment me and tell me that I make the best Kesari. She always compliments my downstairs neighbor’s Kesari and come what may she says I can’t match up to it. I asked Anita(my downstairs neighbor) for the recipe, even got it done from her, she makes fantastic Kesari, but, the same problem, oodles of ghee (Fat!!!! Calories!!! Weight!!!!) and my knees would turn to jelly. Every person I asked said, “Kesari wouldn’t be Kesari if there is no ghee”. But this recipe doesn’t have as much ghee and still tastes good. Here is a no-fail recipe, if followed properly as per the measurements given here and the procedure followed here. Make this Kesari and enjoy the compliments.

Ingredients
Cream of wheat (rava/ semolina) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 - 1.5 cups

Clarified Butter (Ghee) - 3-4 tbsp
Cardamoms (de-skinned and crushed) - 3-4

Golden Raisins (kismis) - 8-10
Orange food color (kesari) -1tsp
Method:
Add 1 tbsp ghee in a wok with a thick bottom, when its hot add the raisins and de-skinned and crushed cardamoms, once the raisins become plump, Add the semolina and roast in the ghee along with the raisins and cardamom till the rava gets a faint pink color. Keep aside. Now in the same wok, add 3 cups of water, add the color and let it boil. When it comes to boiling point, add the semolina slowly, constantly stirring, and mix well. Allow the semolina to be cooked at medium heat. The trick is that the semolina has to cook well. Keep covered and cook for a while. When it is fully cooked, add the sugar and stir well. The sugar makes it watery, so stir well. When the sugar is fully dissolved, add the remaining ghee. Keep stirring until the semolina starts leaving the sides of the pan. Your Kesari/Sheera/Sojji is ready. Check the close up snap of the Kesari, it shows how moist and well cooked it is. Serve warm, dunk in with a spoon and enjoy it.