Kesari Bath

Kesari bath recipe with step by step photos. This is a a quick and easy to prepare rich sweet dish with rava or sooji as its main ingredient. The recipe shared here is the Karnataka style version of preparing kesari bhath. There are a few variations in the method of preparing this dish. The recipe method shared here in this post is an easy method and gives a smooth velvety melt in the mouth kesari bath.

Since we lived in Bangalore for some time, one special bangalore breakfast item that we loved was Chow chow bath.

In chow chow bath, Khara Bath (rava kichadi) which is a savory dish and Kesari bath, which is a sweet dish are served together with Coconut Chutney. Now one must try having both these dishes together with coconut chutney. Chow chow bhath tastes so good and will also become one of your favorite breakfast.

Since more ghee is added in both the rava bhath and kesari bhath, you can make them once in a while. Or you can add less ghee. But both the dishes taste better with some more ghee. Hence this dish is apt for festive occasions, when we indulge in rich food.

The word ‘kesari’ in the Kesari Bath Recipe, literally means the color ‘orange.’ Hence, this silken sweet pudding also essentially has an orange shade to it. Sometimes, it may be a bright yellow-colored too. These hues are achieved in this sweet dish by the addition of edible food colors.

Usually in the restaurants and hotels, they use artificial colors. I suggest to use natural color extracts or natural coloring ingredients like saffron or turmeric. If using turmeric, then just add a pinch of it. In the recipe to get the orange color, I have used saffron and a natural orange color extract.

There are multiple variations of the Kesari Bath where it may have different fruity flavors like that of mango, banana, pineapple and even coconut.

This kesari bath recipe has classic ingredients like rava, ghee, sugar, water/milk and flavorings like cardamom and some nuts or dry fruits. You can add dry fruits of your choice.

It is quick to prepare and just takes about 20 minutes. It can be served as breakfast or sweet snack or as a dessert after meals. To make a bigger batch you can easily double or triple the recipe.

How to make Kesari Bath

1. Heat a pan first. Keep the heat to a low and add ½ cup fine rava (sooji or cream of wheat).

2. Stirring often roast rava on a low heat.

3. Roast till the rava become fragrant and looks crisp. Takes about 5 to 6 minutes on a low heat. Then switch off the heat.

4. Take all the roasted rava on a plate.

Frying cashews

5. In the same pan, take ½ tablespoon ghee.

6. Add 10 to 12 cashews.

7. Stirring them often on a low to medium heat fry till they get golden. Keep aside. Reserve this ghee to be added later in the kesari.

Making kesari bath

8. In another thick bottomed pan or kadai, take 1.5 cups water.

9. Add ⅓ cup sugar (60 grams). You can also add ½ cup sugar for a more sweet taste.

10. Keep the pan on a low heat and stir very well, so that the sugar dissolves.

11. Add raisins and a pinch of saffron strands. I have added raisins in the sugar solution and they do soften up while cooking. If you want you can even fry the raisins with cashews.

12. Add 1 to 2 drops of natural food color extract if using or else skip it. Or you can add a pinch of turmeric powder.

13. Stir and mix very well.

14. On a low-medium heat bring this sugar solution to a boil.

15. When it comes to a boil, then lower the heat. Add the roasted rava in 2 to 3 batches. First add one batch and quickly stir so that no lumps are formed.

16. Continue to add the remaining batch of rava.

17. Stir and mix very well.

18. Add the reserved ghee and 1.5 to 2.5 tablespoons of ghee.

16. Add ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder.

17. Mix very well, so that the ghee is distributed evenly in the kesari bath.

18. Cover the pan and on a low heat or sim let the mixture cook.

19. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. The rava will absorb all the water and get done. The ghee will also be absorbed and the mixture will also thicken. 

You should not see any whitish or creamish tiny specks on the rava. If you see then this means that the rava is still not cooked well.

20. Once the rava is cooked well then add the fried cashews.

21. Mix very well.

23. Serve kesari bath hot or warm. You can also pour the kesari bath mixture in small to medium steel bowls or in small to medium tart moulds and let them become warm. Once warm then unmold and serve.

More Sweets recipes

• Rava kesari
• Sooji halwa
• Rava laddu
• Pineapple kesari

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This Kesari Bath post from the archives first published in October 2016 has been updated and republished on January 2023.