Kesari Bhaath

Saffron-tinged Semolina (Farina)

VegetarianOrigin Tamil NaduPrep 10 minutesCook 10–15 minutes

A rich and fragrant South Indian sweet made from toasted semolina cooked with ghee and sugar. It has a soft, glossy texture scented with cardamom and tinted golden with saffron.

Saffron for steeping

0.3 gSoaked in the hot milk (step 1)

Saffron · Kesar

~0.3 g1 pinch

spice

Leave whole to infuse in the milk.

Finishing spice

1.3 gStirred into the pudding off the heat (step 5)

Green cardamom pod · Elaichiground

1.3–1.4 g7–8 pods

spice

Grind the seeds to a fine powder.

Everything else

Milk · Doodhhot

76 g5 tablespoons

dairy

Ghee

250 g

oil/fat

Coarse semolina · Rava

280 g

grain

Cashew nut · Kaju

15 g10 cashews

nut/seed

Granulated sugar · Cheeni

400 g

sweetener

Method

Place the saffron for steeping (0.3 g saffron) into a small bowl, pour over 76.5 g hot milk, and set aside to infuse.
Melt 250 g ghee in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Tip in 280 g semolina and fry until lightly browned and fragrant, then transfer it out onto a plate. Add 10 cashew nuts to the remaining ghee in the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden.
Return the toasted semolina to the pan and pour in 500–750 ml water. Stir thoroughly and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the grains swell and absorb nearly all the liquid.
Add 400 g granulated sugar and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes until the pudding thickens, pulls away cleanly from the pan sides, and begins to coat the spoon.
Take the pan off the heat. Pour in the saffron-infused milk and add the finishing spice (1.3–1.4 g green cardamom pod, ground), stirring thoroughly to distribute evenly. Allow the pudding to cool and serve at room temperature.

Don't have something?

Saffron

Ground turmeric
Use 15% of the saffron's weight. Replicates the bright yellow colour well, but lacks the floral, earthy depth; use sparingly to avoid bitterness.
Screwpine water or rosewater
Use a few drops combined with a tiny pinch of ground turmeric to mimic both the regal floral aroma and the golden hue.

Milk

Whole milk
Use equal weight; provides the standard rich dairy fat and body expected in creamy Indian bases.
Single cream
Dilute 3 parts cream with 1 part water to match the weight; yields a richer, glossier gravy that resists curdling.
Plain yogurt
Whisk thoroughly and use equal weight; adds extra body and a mild pleasant acidity, best added off the heat.

Ghee

Unsalted butter
Use 120% of the weight; melt gently over low heat to avoid burning the milk solids, which will yield a softer, creamier richness rather than a nutty aroma.
Vegetable oil
Use 85% of the weight; holds high cooking temperatures without smoking, but the final dish will lack traditional dairy depth.
Mustard oil
Use equal weight; heat to smoking point and cool slightly before cooking, bearing in mind it introduces an assertive, pungent edge.

Coarse semolina

Semolina
Use the same weight; it is finer, so add liquid gradually and soak for less time.
Fine semolina
Use the same weight; it absorbs faster and gives a smoother, less grainy texture.
Cream of wheat
Use the same weight; toast it first if the recipe calls for roasting, and watch the liquid.

Cashew nut

Almond
Use 100% of the weight. Soak in boiling water and slip off skins before frying or grinding; gives a lighter, slightly less sweet richness to curries.
Poppy seed
Use 60% of the weight for gravies. Soak in warm water and grind into a fine paste to thicken royal kormas without adding heavy oiliness.
Shelled peanut
Use 100% of the weight. Roast, skin, and grind; creates a thicker, earthier texture typical of Maharashtrian and western Indian curries.

Granulated sugar

Jaggery
Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Green cardamom pod

Green cardamom seed
Use 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.
Ground green cardamom
Use 20 to 25% of the pod weight (about 1 generous pinch per pod); stir in toward the end of cooking so the delicate floral notes do not dissipate.
White cardamom pod
Use 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.

Similar dishes

Maharashtrian Sheera

Semolina Cooked in Butter, Cardamom and Saffron

Maharashtrian Sheera tastes buttery and soft with raisin sweetness, while this dish tastes richer and more ghee-heavy with a glossy texture.

Same: Both are sweet semolina puddings scented with cardamom and saffron, sweetened with sugar, and finished with cashews.
Different: Maharashtrian Sheera uses butter, raisins, and no milk, while this dish uses a large amount of ghee plus milk and no raisins.

Rawa Payasam

Semolina & Milk Pudding

It tastes milkier, less intensely sweet, and far less buttery than this dish, without the floral note of saffron.

Same: Rawa Payasam shares a base of semolina cooked with ghee, sugar, milk, and green cardamom.
Different: Rawa Payasam uses significantly more milk, much less ghee and sugar, and omits the saffron used in this dish to create a loose pudding rather than a dense, glossy sweet.

Suji Halwa

Semolina Halwa

Suji Halwa tastes creamy and grainy from clotted cream, while this dish tastes glossy and saffron-scented.

Same: Suji Halwa and this dish are both semolina sweets cooked with ghee, sugar, cardamom and nuts.
Different: Suji Halwa uses clotted cream, raisins and mixed nuts but lacks saffron and milk, and it has less semolina, sugar and cardamom than this dish.

Rava Laddu

Sweetened Semolina & Coconut Balls

Rava Laddu tastes sweeter and has a strong coconut flavor with a faint citrus tang, lacking the rich, milky cardamom profile of this dish.

Same: Both sweets are based on toasted semolina cooked with ghee, granulated sugar, and saffron.
Different: Rava Laddu adds dried coconut and lime juice while omitting milk and cardamom pods, and it is bound with sugar syrup into balls rather than cooked into a soft halwa.