There have been multiple posts from Anubhavati having so many sweet dishes as these days I seem to be having a sweet tooth. This spring summer there has been an abundance of pineapples in the farmers market and I really could not resist making this sweet that I love, that I remember from my banking days! There was this Sangeetha Restaurant opposite my work place and we all loved their quick lunch to-go packs. They would have a little coriander rice, some raitha, a roti, a dry cauliflower subzi and then a little smear of this amazing sweet fragrant pineapple kesari. I would long to have a little more but then it was a quick lunch after all! Somedays our craving would get so much, that me and M would go and enjoy a cup of this kesari in the evenings. I do attribute a couple pounds that I had put on, just because of this sweet, Its really that addictive.  The other sweet that I loved was the Dumrote Halwa from Surya Sweets, but we`ll save that post for another day.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Rava.

2  Cups Sugar.

2 1/2 Cups Water.

3/4 Cup Pineapple finely chopped.

1 Tsp Pineapple Essence.

Yellow Food Colouring.

3 Tbsp Ghee.

Handful of broken cashews and raisins.

PREPARATION:

1. The very first step in the preparation of pineapple kesari is choosing a ripe fragrant sweet pineapple. Make sure that its ripe by turning over the pineapple and checking the base. More often than not, its a lovely orangish yellow colour and very sweet smelling. Now cut out the skin and the fleshy parts and chop in to pieces. Measure out 3/4 cup of finely chopped pieces, mix this with about 2 tbsp  of sugar and set aside.
2.  In a clean heavy bottomed vessel, add 2 tsp of ghee and lightly roast the cashews and the raisins. Drain out the fried cashews and raisins .
3. At this point,  add the one cup of rava and lightly roast it until its well coated with the ghee.
4. Simultaneously boil 2 1/2  cups of water and slowly add it in to the kadai,making sure to remove all the lumps and stirring continously.
5. Using a whisk, and considerably bringing down the heat to low, bring the mixture together and cover and cook for a couple minutes say for around 3-4 minutes.
6. Now when the rava has cooked add the sugar and mix it in well. At the same time add the chopped pineapple pieces without the water content.
7. The entire mixture in the kadai will get lumpy and watery but keep mixing. Add 2 spoons of ghee, pineapple essence and mix these well.
8. Cover and cook for another couple minutes say around 4-5 minutes or so. Switch off the stove when you get the soft dripping consistency. I prefer my kesari to be soft and dripping rather than hard.
9. Garnish with the fried cahsews and raisins and serve HOT!

HINTS:

The most important part of making any kesari is that you have to wait until all of the rava/semolina has been cooked in the water and THEN add the sugar. When you add the sugar before the rava is cooked, the end result is almost uncooked rava and that is not a pleasant tasting. 

Using a whisk for mixing the rava and the sugar has also been helpful in completely blotting out all the clots in the kesari. Keeping the flame on low is also vital as you would require the semolina to slow cook and hence bring out the essence of the dish.