Milk Rava Kesari / Milk Kesari

Milk Rava Kesari is creamy, rich, delicious, and at the same time, easy and straightforward to prepare. This dessert belongs to South Indian cuisine, and is often made during festivals, worships rituals, and celebrations.

Jump to:

• About Milk Rava Kesari
• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Directions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storing Suggestions
• Helpful Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Indian Desserts
• Recipe Card

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About Milk Rava Kesari

Milk Rava Kesari is also known as Milk Kesari and Paal Kesari. Kesari is an Indian word that means orange color. So Making Milk Rava Kesari includes the use of saffron and orange food color.

Milk Kesari is similar to Sooji Halwa or Sheera, with only differences in the measurement of ingredients. Also, Sooji Halwa is generally made without saffron or any food color.  

My son and I both love Sooji Halwa, and we also have the same affection for Milk Rava Kesari. I came to know about this recipe from my South Indian colleague. Because the recipe sounded almost like Sooji Halwa, I tried it. And I am glad I did.

This Indian dessert is an absolute stunner. It is soft, creamy, rich, and melts in the mouth. In South India, people eat Milk Kesari for breakfast. And even though I am not from South India, I will be more than happy to have this dessert for breakfast.💖

Ingredients

1. Ghee: It is an essential ingredient, and using any less of it will make Milk Rava Kesari less tasty than it should be. However, you can add 1-2 tablespoon more ghee if you like.
2. Rava/Sooji/Semolina: Use fine Rava or Rawa to make Milk Kesari soft and melt in the mouth. Make sure to roast Rava properly for the perfect texture and to remove the rawness. I always get Sooji from Indian grocery stores but look for the word fine semolina if you buy from other stores. Also, do not use the readymade pre-roasted Rava for this recipe.
3. Milk: As the name suggests, milk is another key ingredient for this delicious dessert. It makes the dish rich and creamy. I have used whole milk to make this dessert, but you can also use 2% milk.
4. Sugar: When it comes to sweetness, I am sure everyone has a personal preference. For me, adding a cup of sugar makes this dessert perfectly and moderately sweet. So you can add as much sugar as you prefer. However, first I will suggest adding sugar to the milk, as mentioned in the recipe. Then after Rava soaks the milk and sugar mixture, taste it and add more sugar if needed. I have used raw cane sugar, but you can also use white sugar.
5. Cashews: I have added cashews to this dessert, but you can also add other nuts of your choice. If you like, you can also add raisins to Milk Kesari. 
6. Saffron: It provides flavor and color to this dish. If you do not use food color, I recommend adding more saffron strands to bring natural bright color to the dessert.
7. Food Color: It is optional adding food color to make this dessert. Otherwise, you can add 2-3 drops of natural orange or yellow food color. If you do not want to use food color, you may add more saffron strands for the bright color.
8. Cardamom Powder: It adds a warm and sweet flavor to this dessert. Try to use freshly ground cardamom for the best flavors.

Step-by-Step Directions

• Heat milk in a thick-bottomed pot or pan.

• Add sugar and mix well. 

• Add saffron strands and optional food color.
• Stir well.
• On medium-low heat, let milk comes to a boil.
• Stir the milk occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

• While the milk is getting heated, take ghee in another thick-bottomed pan.

• Heat ghee on low-medium heat and add cashews.
• Fry the cashews on low-medium heat until they are golden brown.
• Remove the cashews from the pan and set them aside.

• Now in the same pan with ghee, add Rava or Sooji and mix well.

• Roast the Rava on low-medium heat, often stirring, until it is aromatic.

• Roasting of Rava will take about 8-10 minutes.
• When Rava is well roasted, it will become lighter and shiny.
• It is essential to stir the Rava often while it is roasting to prevent it from browning.

• By the time you finish roasting the Rava, milk should have been started boiling.

• Carefully, pour boiling milk into the roasted Rava. 
• After pouring milk, stir the mixture quickly and continuously to prevent lump formation.

• Soon Rava will start absorbing the milk and will get thicker, stir the mixture continuously.
• At this point, you can taste Milk Kesari and add more sugar if you need to.

• Once Rava absorbs all milk and becomes thick, add fried cashews and cardamom powder.
• Reserve some cashews for garnishing if you want.
• Mix well and let Milk Kesari simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes.

• Turn off the heat and transfer Milk Rava Kesari to a serving bowl or plate.
• Garnish it with more cashews and saffron strands if you prefer.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve Milk Rava Kesari hot or warm. You can also serve it at room temperature if you want. 
• This dessert tastes delicious on its own and does not need any accompaniment.
• Serve Milk Kesari with lunch or dinner and convert your regular meal into a festive meal.
• You can have this dessert for your weekend breakfast or brunch with your family.

Storing Suggestions

• Store the leftover Milk Kesari in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
• Reheat the dessert in the microwave. Or reheat in a pan over low heat.

Helpful Tips

• For more luscious Milk Kesari, you can add more ghee, but do not add less ghee than mentioned in the recipe.
• It is essential to roast Rava properly for the best texture and to remove the rawness.
• One cup of sugar will make this Milk Kesari moderately sweet. So add more sugar as per your taste preference.
• Instead of using only milk, you can swap half of the milk with water.
• Add more cashews to this dessert if you want. Also, you can add raisins or other nuts of your choice.
• I have used raw cane sugar, but you can add regular white sugar instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Skip Food Color?

Yes! You can skip adding the food color to Kesari Rava Milk. If you add only saffron strands, you will still get a nice and bright color.

Can I Use Water Instead Of Milk?

Well, as the name suggests, milk is used to make this dessert. Milk makes it rich and creamy. Also, using only water will change the flavor of Kesari Rava Milk. But if you want to keep this dessert on the lighter side, I suggest using half milk and half water instead of only water.

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