Kesari Bath / கேசரி பாத்

Traditional semolina sweet for festivals and offering

Kesari Bath is a soft, fragrant semolina sweet made with ghee, sugar and cardamom. This feature documents family variants, the tested recipe and vendor notes.

Kesari Bath — also called 'Kesari' in many South Indian households — is a comforting, aromatic sweet made from rava (semolina), ghee, sugar and saffron or food colour. It appears at weddings, pujas and festival offerings. Despite its simplicity, the dish hides a set of small techniques that make a difference between a grainy halwa and a silky, cohesive dessert.

This article documents the tested home recipe used by three families in Chennai, the small variations introduced at temple prasadams, and practical tips to scale the dish for a crowd.

Ingredients: 1 cup rava (semolina), 3/4 cup sugar (adjust to taste), 1/2 cup ghee, 2 1/4 cups water (or milk for richer texture), a generous pinch of cardamom powder, a few saffron strands or a drop of orange food colour, a tablespoon chopped cashews and raisins (optional).

Technique: The order of work matters. Roast the rava on low heat until it gives a warm, nutty aroma (do not brown). Separately, heat ghee and fry cashews and raisins until golden; remove. In the same ghee, add hot water and bring to a rolling boil with saffron or colour dissolved. Stir in sugar and then carefully add roasted rava while whisking briskly to avoid lumps. Cook on the lowest heat, stirring continuously for 3–4 minutes until the mixture leaves the pan and attains a glossy sheen. Fold in fried nuts and serve warm.

Modern adjustments: Many urban cooks replace a portion of water with milk for a creamier mouthfeel. Another common substitution is to toast the rava with a tablespoon of ghee before roasting for a richer nuttiness. Scale proportions linearly for larger quantities and keep a wide, heavy-bottomed pan to avoid sticking.

Cultural notes: In several temple kitchens, Kesari is made in huge cauldrons and distributed as prasadam; the texture there is slightly looser by design because it is scooped while hot. Family recipes often include small differences — the ratio of ghee, whether to add bananas, or a dash of nutmeg — and we find those variations instructive rather than contradictory.

Storage & safety: Kesari keeps well for 24–36 hours covered in the refrigerator; warm gently before serving. Because of its high sugar and ghee content, refrigerate promptly in hot climates.

Vendor variant: A well-known stall in Mylapore fries the rava in ghee until it slightly colours and uses jaggery instead of sugar for a deeper, caramel note. We recommend trying both versions to learn the flavour range this simple sweet can offer.