KESARI BATH AT HOME

(I press the Kesari mixture into a little bowl and turn it over onto a plate, shaping it into a soft hill, just like the Karnataka folks do it.)


After eating Kesari bath every day during our travels in Karnataka, I thought I'd definitely be seeing it on restaurant menus here in Goa -- I had no reason to extra enjoy it's simple sweetness -- or that of its partner, Kara bath (a savory version) often sitting side by side on one banana leaf. When served together, the kesari and the kara bath become "Chow Chow Bath." I think we originally ordered the chow chow based on the melody of the name alone! We often order based on fun menu sounds here -- when eating at all-veg restaurants, you are totally safe from strange and yucky meats and only at risk of extremely fried items.


So, I recently figured out what "rava" is and found that it's another word for cream of wheat -- with that information, I tweaked the original and VERY sweet Kesari bath more to my tastes and also lightened up the dish, with a tad less ghee. My version is aromatic, fruity, moist from the pineapple, and has a hint of flowery taste from the saffron and the cardamon. I hope you enjoy this new dish! I'm definitely adding it to my breakfast repertoire.


Kesari Bath
(serves 4-5)

Ingredients

1 Cup Rava (cream of wheat)
3 tbsp ghee
1 heaping tbsp Sugar
1 c Milk (dairy, soy, almond -- whatever you like)
1/2 c Water
6 Cardamom pods, split open a little bit
1 pinch saffron
2 tbsp chopped almonds (or cashews, more traditionally)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c pineapple, roughly chopped
1/3 c mango juice (orange, apricot, or pineapple juice would work too)
4 dried apricots, diced into small pieces

Method:
First, chop the pineapple, dice the apricots and split the cardamon pods. This meal is much easier if everything is prepped and readied because it all goes pretty quick.

Heat ghee in a pan, add rava, stir and roast on low till a nutty aroma is obtained and some of the rava is turning golden. Set aside.

Meanwhile mix the saffron, pineapple, mango juice, cardamon pods, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Heat this fruit mixture on medium for 3-5 minutes until the pineapple turns bright yellow from the saffron and starts to cook down a bit.

Add water and milk to pineapple mixture and, finally add all of the liquids/pinapple mixture to toasted rava. Cook on medium heat until rava has absorbed all the liquids, it only takes about 1 or 2 minutes. Serve about 3/4 cup kesari bath along with chopped nuts (toasted is traditional, as well as raisins). This dish is perfectly accompanied by a lassi.

Serve hot or room temperature as breakfast or a snack. On a banana leaf for pure Karnataka flavor!