Pineapple Kesari

Kesari or Halwa is a simple, quick and easy sweet treat which tastes delicious too.
This sweet treat does not require any advance preparation and can be prepared in minutes and is similar to the preparation of Sooji Halwa.
The pineapple pieces in this case or any fruit halwa adds a totally different dimension to the taste, colour and flavour!!

Ingredients to serve 6 people

1 Cup Coarse Rava (Semolina)
½ Cup Small Pineapple Pieces
2 Cups Sugar
1 ½ Cups Water
6 Tbs Ghee (melted unsalted butter)
2 Tbs. Chopped Cashew nuts
½ Tsp Cardamom Powder
A pinch Orange Food Colouring (Optional)


Preparation

Add two tablespoons of ghee in a pan and fry the cashew nuts till it turns golden brown
Remove the cashew nuts from the pan by draining the ghee back into the pan
In the remainder of the ghee, fry the Rava (semolina) for 2-3 minutes till it looks fluffy
Bring the two cups of water to the boil in a heavy based wide pan and add the food colouring
Add the small pineapple pieces and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium flame
Gently slide the roasted semolina and stir it till it thickens
Pour in the sugar and stir it very swiftly, to avoid chunks of mixture being formed – (if it starts to form lumps, mash it thoroughly)
Let it cook gently stirring the mixture every 30 seconds till it solidifies.
Pour in the remainder of the ghee to the mixture and gently simmer the mixture for 3-4 minutes.
Remove from fire and sprinkle the cardamom powder
Decorate it with the fried cashew nuts sprinkled on the top

It is ready to be served

Note: Preparation time for this is generally less than 15 minutes –
therefore a great quick simple sweet treat to be served as an offering on religious and wedding occasions too for a large number of people!!
Another alternative to using small pieces of pineapple is to blend it into a soft paste too!!