Kesari is a traditional Indian sweet dish that is made with semolina, sugar, ghee, and spices. However, this version of Kesari is made with barnyard millet instead of semolina, making it a healthier alternative. The last recipe for this week’s Prep to table theme is this delicious dessert, Barnyard Millet Kesari or Kuthiraivali Kesari. My boys love kesari and they would be so excited to eat kesari as their after-school snack. Millet is still very underused in my family. No one except me really cares about it. Since it is just me, it often gets slipped out and goes unnoticed. Lately, I have been using millet in many different recipes where it is not even noticed. My husband has no problem consuming it as long as he does not know that it has millet. It is more of a mental block and I am hoping that this is just a phase and soon he will start looking at the health benefits of the millet. Couple of weeks back, I went to the Indian stores with my friend and she introduced me to this Barnyard millet / Kuthiraivali. She told me that she cooks it just like rice and uses it as a substitute for rice. I tried it for me and this is one millet that resembles very close rice. So when looking to make a dessert recipe for the theme, I thought why not make something with the Barnyard millet? Kesari is the absolute favorite dessert of my boys and I made the Barnyard Millet Kesari | Kuthiraivali Kesari. Preparation time - 5 minutesCooking time - 20 minutesDifficulty level - easy Semiya Kesari / Vermicelli Kesari Aval Kesari – Poha Kesari F for Fruit kesari – Mixed Fruit kesari Thinai Ven Pongal Recipe | Foxtail Millet Savory Pongal – Vegan and Gluten Free Recipe Haryana Bajra Roti – Gluten Free Millet Flatbread Ragi Dosai – Instant Finger Millet Dosai Ragi Idiyappam | Ragi Sevai | Finger Millet String Hopper | Kezhvaragu Idiyappam
Procedure to make Kuthiraivali Kesari
Heat about 1 teaspoon of ghee / clarified butter in a pan. Add the measured Barnyard millet and keep stirring to evenly roast the millet. Make sure that you fry it on low to medium flame. The millet will turn aromatic and slightly change color.
Remove the millet and let it cool to room temperature.
Grind the roasted millet to a fine semolina / rava-like texture.
In the same pan, heat 1 more teaspoon of ghee and fry the cashews and the raisins. Remove it on a plate.
In the meantime, heat about 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer.
Return the ground millet to the same pan and fry for a minute more.
Now lower the flame and slowly add the boiling water to the millet. Mix well to avoid lumps and let the millet cook on low flame. Keep adding more hot water to make sure that the millet cooks well. It will take about 5 to 7 minutes.
Check to see if the millet is cooked completely and is soft.
Add the measured sugar to the cooked millet and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee and let the kesari cook.
The mixture will start to solidify. At this stage add the remaining ghee, food coloring (if using), and cardamom powder. Mix well and cook until the kesari starts leaving the sides of the pan.
Add the fried cashew and raisin and turn off the flame.
The kesari is now ready to serve.
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