Check out some of the best Indian sweets desserts, Navratri recipes for 9 days, and Special Diwali recipes. I wish all my readers a very happy Varamahalakshmi Vratha. This festival is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the one who grants boons. This festival is celebrated on the second Friday, or the Friday before full moon day (Poornima), in the month of Śravaṇā (shrawan or sawan).
About Pineapple Kesari Bath
Pineapple Kesari is a popular South Indian dessert recipe made using semolina (sooji or suji rava), ghee, sugar, and pineapple and flavored with cardamom and saffron. This is also called pineapple sooji ka halwa or rava kesari. The sweet and ripe pineapple chunks combined with the nutty aroma of the ghee and flavor from cardamom and kesar make this dessert irresistible. This variation of traditional sheera (suji halwa) is prepared for festivals like Varalakshmi vratham, Ganesh Chaturthi, Krishna Janmashtami, Navratri, and Diwali. Sheera is best when served warm as an after-meal dessert. In South India, sheera is also served for breakfast in restaurants with upma, khara bath, poha, chane usli(sandal).
Pineapple Kesari Ingredients
Pineapple: Use fresh or canned pineapples.Ghee: The nutty aroma and richness comes from the desi ghee.Nuts: Gives crunchiness to your halwa or kesari.Semolina: The key ingredient to make sheera or kesari, it gives a unique texture and helps the sweet thicken.Saffron: The color and the flavor come from the kesar strands. Use premium quality.Cardamom: Traditional Indian flavor for sweets.Sugar: Sweetening agent for your sheera. See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Pineapple Sheera?
In a pot, add water and pineapple chunks and bring it to a boil. In a non-stick pan, heat desi ghee on medium flame. To this, add chopped almonds and saute till it becomes light in color. Add raisins and sooji (semolina or suji rava) and saute on medium to medium-low flame for 3 to 4 minutes or until you get a nice aroma. To the sauteed sooji/semolina, add the pineapple puree, boiling water with pineapple chunks, and saffron strands, and stir continuously so that there are no lumps and cook on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes until the water is absorbed. Next, add sugar and continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring until ghee leaves the sides of the pan. Finally, add cardamom powder, mix, and switch off the flame. Garnish it with more almonds, raisins, and saffron strands if desired. Serve and enjoy.
Tips
Instead of adding pineapple chunks to boiling water, you can also saute it in ghee or butter for 2 to 3 minutes and add to the recipe. I also add cashew nuts sometimes. Use your favorite dry fruits and nuts. The traditional ratio for sheera or sooji halwa is 1:1:1 ghee:sugar:rava. I have reduced it to cut down on fat. Transfer the hot sheera to a greased plate about ½ inch deep. Allow it to cool completely, and then cut them into squares so that you can serve them as halwa or fudge. Add pineapple chunks to the blender and blend them to form a puree. If you find it challenging to pulse, add a tablespoon of water in increments. The amount of sugar can vary depending on the pineapple’s sweetness. The time given here is the approximate one. It may vary based on the size of the pan and the intensity of the flame. Any leftover sheera can be stored at room temperature for two days in the refrigerator for one week. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or until heated through so that the ghee melts. You can also use butter to make this dessert instead of ghee. Make sure you heat it first until it becomes light golden. You can also add 1 or 2 drops of pineapple essence if you need a stronger flavor.
More Indian halwa recipes
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Recipe card
