Dry Fruits Kesari: Onam Sweet Dish

Add as a preferred source on Google

Onam is a special festival that is celebrated in Kerala. Malayalees mark this festival with zest, rituals, feasts, games and fairs. Onam is celebrated for 10 (Thiruvonam) or 12 (Chatayam) days. Different and special delicacies are made to celebrate the state festival. Traditional methods to lay the food items are performed in every Malayalee's house. On Onam, the special dishes are served in a banana leaf to family members and guests. As it is a festival of food and joy, why not try some special traditional Kerala recipe?

Dry fruits Kesari is a special Onam dish that is made with rava (wheat product) or rice and saffron (Kesar). Also known as Kesari Bhat, you can find this dish in other neighbouring states of Kerala. Check out the sweet recipe to make dry fruits kesari.

Dry fruits kesari recipe:

Serves: 2-3
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Rice- 1 cup
• Dry fruits- ½ cup (comprising of cashew nuts, raisins, dates and almonds)
• Cardamom powder- ½ tsp
• Sugar- 4tbsp
• Ghee/purified butter- 3tsp
• Saffron- 1 pinch (you can also use yellow or red food colour)
• Milk- 2tbsp
• Water- 2 cups

Procedure

• Heat 1tsp ghee in a frying pan. Roast all the dry fruits for 1-2 minutes on low flame. Put the pan off flame and let it cool.
• Wash the rice in water and drain it. Now roast the rice in ghee on low flame for 1-2 minutes. Keep sauting so that the rice doesn't turn brown.
• Now slowly add water and then bring it to a boil. Stir at intervals to see if the rice is cooked or not. Do not over cook it or the rice can become sticky. When the rice is boiled, strain it and let it cool. Spread the rice so that it doesn't look sticky.
• In a bowl, add milk and saffron strands. Let it soak in milk for 10 minutes. If you are using colour, add 1tsp of it in milk and keep aside.
• Heat 2tsp ghee in a deep bottomed frying pan. Add the dry fruits and rice into it. Mix well so that the rice absorbs ghee. Now pour the milk and saffron or colour mix in the pan. Add sugar and saute well. Cook on medium flame for 2 minutes until the sugar melts completely.
• Put the pan off flame and sprinkle cardamom powder.

Dry fruits kesari is ready to be served. Serve this Onam sweet dish and celebrate the festival with family.