Paal Kesari Recipe – South Indian Style Milk Kesari

'Kesari' is a popular South Indian dessert made of semolina, sugar, ghee and is flavoured with the exquisite spice 'kesar' or saffron. This traditional sweet dish is easy to prepare and is also served as a part of breakfast in South India along with Upma Recipe. Course : Dessert Ingridients : 1/2 cup Sooji (Semolina/ Rava) 1/2 teaspoon Ghee , for roasting the rava 3 cups Milk 3/4 cup Sugar 5 Saffron strands , (lightly powdered using mortar and pestle) 1 Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds , crushed (optional) For Garnish 1 teaspoon Ghee 5 Cashew nuts 5 Sultana Raisins 1 Dry Fruits , chopped, as required Instructions To begin making the Paal Kesari Recipe, prepare all the ingredients and soak crushed saffron strands in a tablespoon of warm milk for 15-20 minutes (Soaking is optional for better infusion).Heat a Pan with ghee and roast the rava/semolina by continuously stirring till it turns fragrant.Switch off and allow it to cool completely.Heat a Kadai with milk over a low flame and when it starts to boil, add saffron and sugar. Add cardamom if you like.Once the sugar melts, keep stirring over low flame and add the roasted rava in parallel to avoid any lumps.Cook the rava over a low flame, stirring continuously till it is completely cooked. Switch off.Heat a Tadka pan with ghee and lightly roast the cashew nuts, raisins and any other dry fruits and nuts if using.Garnish the milk kesari with nuts and raisins.Your delicious Milk Kesari is ready to be served immediately or you can refrigerate and serve it chilled.Serve Paal Kesari Recipe after a South Indian Meal of Tomato Onion Sambar, Jeera Rasam, Chow Chow Thoran, Steamed Rice and Elai Vadam.