fruit kesari recipe, how to make fruit kesari | fruit halwa

Fruit kesari recipe with step by step photos – mix fruit kesari is a rich and delicious South Indian pudding made with rava (sooji or cream of wheat), mix fruits, ghee and dry fruits.

Sharing one more sweet recipe for Diwali. Kesari is the South Indian version of Sooji halwa. there are some variations in making halwa or kesari. This mixed fruit kesari is one of them. I have also shared a Few more kesari varieties like:

• Pineapple kesari
• Milk kesari
• Kesari bath
• Mango kesari
• 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. Mix fruit kesari can also be served as an after meal dessert. Do note that the Recipe can be doubled as well as tripled.

If you are looking for more Halwa varieties then do check:

• Moong dal halwa
• Carrot halwa
• Corn flour halwa

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

Fruit Kesari

By Dassana Amit

Fruit kesari is a rich South Indian sweet made with cream of wheat, mixed fruits and dry fruits.

4.50 from 6 votes

Print Pin Save Saved! Rate

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Cuisine South Indian

Course Sweets

Share

EmailFacebookTweet

Servings 3 to 4

Units

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup fine rava (sooji or cream of wheat)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Ghee for roasting sooji
• ▢ 4 to 5 tablespoon Ghee or 2 tablespoon ghee + 2 tablespoon oil or 4 tablespoon oil, use a neutral flavored oil
• ▢ 12 to 15 cashews
• ▢ 1 tablespoon 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 teaspoon cardamom powder or 3 to 4 green cardamoms - crushed to a powder in mortar-pestle
• ▢ 1 pinch saffron strands
• ▢ 6 tablespoon sugar or about ⅓ cup sugar
• ▢ 1.5 cups water

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe

Instructions

 

roasting rava

• Heat 1 tsp ghee in a thick bottomed kadai or pan.
• Add ½ cup fine rava (sooji or cream of wheat). Stir very well.
• Roast the rava very well stirring often on a low flame.
• Roast till the rava become fragrant and look crisp. Takes about 5 to 7 minutes on a low flame. Switch off the flame.
• Remove the rava in a plate and keep aside.

chopping fruits

• 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.

making fruit kesari

• Heat 4 to 5 tbsp ghee in the same pan. Add 12 to 15 cashews.
• Fry the cashews in ghee till golden. Then remove them with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
• Next add 1 tbsp raisins. As soon as you add the raisins they will start to swell up.
• Stir and fry the raisins till they swell and become plump. Remove and keep aside.
• Next add the chopped mixed fruits. Stir very well.
• Saute the fruits on a low to medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add ½ tsp cardamom powder and a generous pinch of saffron strands. Stir.
• Now add 6 tbsp sugar or about ⅓ cup sugar. You can add sugar as per your taste.
• Add 1.5 cups water. Stir very well.
• Bring this mixture to a vigorous boil on a medium flame.
• Now lower the flame and add the ghee roasted rava. You can also add the rava in parts.
• As soon as you add the rava, quickly stir and mix very well. There should be no lumps in the halwa.
• Add the fried cashews and raisins. Reserve a few for garnish. Allow for the water to be absorbed by the rava.
• 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.
• In the below pic, the fruit kesari is done and ready to be served. 
  
• If you want to slice 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.
• Serve fruit kesari garnished with the fried cashews and raisins.

Nutrition Info (Approximate values)

Nutrition Facts

Fruit Kesari

Amount Per Serving

Calories 544 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 47mg16%

Sodium 46mg2%

Potassium 456mg13%

Carbohydrates 86g29%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 55g61%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 580IU12%

Vitamin C 19.8mg24%

Calcium 223mg22%

Iron 10.9mg61%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Like what you see?

Stay up to date with new recipes and ideas.

• Signup
• Subscribe
• Join
• Follow

Roasting rava to make fruit kesari

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

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

3. Stir very well.

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

5. Roast till the rava become fragrant and look crisp. Takes about 5 to 7 minutes on a low flame. Switch off the flame.

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

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.

Making fruit kesari

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).

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

10. next add 1 tbsp raisins.

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

12. Stir and fry the raisins till they swell and become plump. Remove and keep aside.

13. Next add the chopped mixed fruits.

14. Stir very well.

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

16. Add ½ tsp cardamom powder and a generous pinch of saffron strands. Stir.

17. Now add 6 tbsp sugar or about ⅓ cup sugar. You can add sugar as per your taste.

18. Add 1.5 cups water.

19. Stir very well.

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

21. Now lower the flame and add the ghee roasted rava. You can also add the rava in parts.

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

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

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.

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.

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