fruit kesari recipe

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

fruit kesari recipe - rich south indian sweet made with cream of wheat, mixed fruits and dry fruits.

fruit kesari recipe with step by step photos – rich south indian pudding made with rava, mix fruits and dry fruits.

sharing one more sweet recipe for diwali. kesari is the south indian versionof sooji halwa. there are some variations in making halwa or kesari. this fruit kesari is one of them. i have also shared a few more kesari varieties – pineapple kesari, milk kesari and rava kesari.

we have had fruit kesari in south indian weddings and what i like is the fruity flavor that comes in the kesari. use seasonal fruits or whatever you have. avoid citrus fruits and melons though. here i used apple, pear, pineapple, banana and pomegranate.

i have also used less ghee and sugar than what is generally added to kesari. the fruits do contribute their own sweetness to the kesari and thus there is no need to add more sugar. i have used about 1.75 cups of mixed fruits in this recipe.there is no color added and hence you do not see a bright yellow or orange colored kesari. if you want to add color, then use natural color extracts. kesari is always loved by my folks and even this fruit kesari was much much appreciated.
serve fruit kesari hot or warm or at room temperature. the leftovers can be refrigerated. during the diwali pooja, you can make this kesari as a naivdeyam and offer to the deities. fruit kesari can also be served as an after meal dessert. do note that the recipe can be doubled as well as tripled.

Author: Mridul

Recipe type: sweets

Cuisine: south indian

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• ½ cup fine rava/sooji/ cream of wheat
• 1 tsp ghee for roasting sooji
• 4 to 5 tbsp ghee or 2 tbsp ghee + 2 tbsp oil or 4 tbsp oil (use a neutral flavored oil)
• 12 to 15 cashews
• 1 tbsp raisins
• ½ cup chopped apple or 1 small apple, chopped
• ½ cup chopped pear or 1 small pear, chopped
• ½ cup chopped pineapple
• ⅓ cup chopped banana
• ¼ cup pomegranate arils
• ½ tsp cardamom powder or 3 to 4 green cardamoms, crushed to a powder in mortar-pestle
• a generous pinch of saffron strands
• 6 tbsp sugar or about ⅓ cup sugar
• 1.5 cups water
• 
  

step by step fruit kesari recipe:

1. heat 1 tsp ghee in a thick bottomed kadai or pan.

ghee for fruit kesari recipe

2. add ½ cup fine rava (sooji or cream of wheat).

rava for fruit kesari recipe

3. stir very well.

rava for fruit kesari recipe

4. roast the rava very well stirring often on a low flame.

rava for fruit kesari recipe

5. roast till the rava become fragrant and look crisp. takes about 5 to 7 minutes on a low flame. switch off the flame.

rava for fruit kesari recipe

6. remove the rava in a plate and keep aside.

rava for fruit kesari recipe

7. now rinse, peel and chop 1 small apple, 1 small pear, 1 small banana (i used elaichi banana) and 2 to 3 pineapple slices. remove the pomegranate seeds from a small pomegranate. pomegranate is optional. you can also use your choice of fruits. mangoes and chickoo (sapota) also tastes good.

fruits for fruit kesari recipe

8. heat 4 to 5 tbsp ghee in the same pan. add 12 to 15 cashews. you can also add 2 tbsp ghee + 2 tbsp oil or 4 tbsp oil (use a neutral flavored oil).

kaju for fruit kesari recipe

9. fry the cashews in ghee till golden. then remove them with a slotted spoon and keep aside.

kaju for fruit kesari recipe

10. next add 1 tbsp raisins.

raisins for fruit kesari recipe

11. as soon as you add the raisins, they will start to swell up.

raisins for fruit kesari recipe

12. stir and fry the raisins till they swell and become plump. remove and keep aside.

raisins for fruit kesari recipe

13. next add the chopped mixed fruits.

fruits for fruit kesari recipe

14. stir very well.

making fruit kesari recipe

15. saute the fruits on a low to medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes.

making fruit kesari recipe

16. add ½ tsp cardamom powder and a generous pinch of saffron strands. stir.

cardamom for fruit kesari recipe

17. now add 6 tbsp sugar or about ⅓ cup sugar. you can add sugar as per your taste.

sugar for fruit kesari recipe

18. add 1.5 cups water.

water for fruit kesari recipe

19. stir very well.

preparing fruit kesari recipe

20. bring this mixture to a vigorous boil on a medium flame.

preparing fruit kesari recipe

21. now lower the flame and add the ghee roasted rava. you can also add the rava in parts.

rava for fruit kesari recipe

22. as soon as you add the rava, quickly stir and mix very well. there should be no lumps in the halwa.

making fruit kesari recipe

23. add the fried cashews and raisins. reserve a few for garnish. allow for the water to be absorbed by the rava.

making fruit kesari recipe

24. do stir at intervals. the rava will soften up. you should not see any whitish or creamish tiny specks on the rava. this means that the rava is not cooked well.

making fruit kesari recipe

25. here the fruit kesari is done and ready to be served. if you want to slice fruit kesari like barfi or serve them like i have done, then pour the hot mixture in a tray or in small to medium tart moulds or small bowls. press with a spatula to even. once warm, slice them or unmold them.

making fruit kesari recipe

26. serve fruit kesari garnished with the reserved fried cashews and raisins.