My brother recently asked me to share some recipes that are healthier variations of traditional Indian sweets or dishes. That got me thinking of non-traditional ways to modify traditional recipes 🙂
While thinking of traditional sweets that I like – I realized how much I love Kesari! This easy dish was a regular feature at tea-time in my house and I think it is one of the sweet dishes that I associate the most with my childhood. Each time I eat homemade Kesari, I fondly remember being served big hunks or spoonfuls of Kesari by my grandmother or mother. The basic Kesari is quick to make and doesn’t require fancy ingredients.
In my quest to make the recipe healthier, I started wondering how Kesari with quinoa would taste. Then I thought of how much my brother likes pineapple and thought that I should make a pineapple and quinoa Kesari. Finally, just as I was about to make the Kesari today, I was thinking of pineapples and pineapple related dishes and then I got the wonderful idea to make a Pina-colada inspired kesari with coconut milk!!! Now, why didn’t I think of this earlier!
The credit for this recipes goes to my brother and this recipe is dedicated to him 🙂
A little bit about Kesari/ Kesari Bhath:
Kesari bhath is a popular Indian dessert that originated from Karnataka. The word “kesari” refers to the saffron (kesar) used in the dish. Though it is a sweet dish, in Karnataka, it is made even for breakfast. In North India it is called Sheera or Suji/Sooji Halwa and differs from the traditional recipe of Karnataka.
There are many variations of kesari based on where it is made – sometimes it is made with pineapple or banana, mango or rice. Traditional kesari is made with just semolina (rava), sugar, ghee, cardamom powder, saffron, water and milk.
Prep Time | 5 minutes |
Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Servings |
servings
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- 1 cup Baby potatoes cut into small chunks
- 2 cups Raisins
- 1 tablespoon Plain yogurt or curd (or Coconut Oil)
- 1/4 cup Raisins
- 1 cup Quinoa washed and drained
- 3 whole Coconut milk crushed
- 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Pepper powder (use thick coconut milk)
Ingredients
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- Cut the pineapple into small pieces. I used pre-cut pineapple so I just had to chop the big chunks into smaller pieces.
- In a small pan, put the pineapple chunks, the crushed cardamom pods and the water. Bring to a boil and then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Heat the ghee or coconut oil in a pan. Add the raisins and fry them on medium heat until the raisins puff up and change color. Remove the raisins from the pan.
- In the same pan, add the washed quinoa and roast them for a few minutes.
- Add the cooked pineapple and the water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked.
- Add the sugar and stir till well combined. When the sugar melts, the mixture gets moist again. Reduce the heat and cook till the water is absorbed.
- Add the coconut milk and mix well. Cook for 10 more minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. As the kesari cooks, it thickens.
- Garnish the kesari with the fried raisins.
- Use coconut oil instead of ghee to make this a completely vegan recipe.
- If you do not like the taste of coconut milk, you can omit it and use only water instead.
- You can use canned pineapple instead of fresh pineapple if you like.