Ingredients

1. Ghee – 5 to 6 tbsp
2. Cashew nuts – 8 to 10
3. Raisins – 1 tbsp
4. Semolina – 1/2 cup
5. Water – 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cup
6. Ripe banana (medium size) – 1
7. Sugar – 1/3 cup

Method

1. Split the cashew nuts or chop it roughly, keep it ready.
2. Take a ripe banana which is soft and smash it with a fork. It will easily gets smashed. Do not smash it like puree or paste, small pieces or chunks should be there.
3. Heat a vessel, add semolina (sooji), and roast on low flame for few minutes until it starts leaving aroma and fragrance. Switch off. Transfer to a plate or bowl, keep it aside.
4. In the same vessel add 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter), when hot add cashew nuts and raisins (dry grapes), cook until it is golden colour and raisins starts swelling. Remove and keep it aside.
5. In the same vessel add water (to absorb the flavour of ghee and nuts) boil, add cardamom powder a pinch and boil for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame.
6. Simmer the flame and add roasted semolina. Mix quickly so that no lumps are formed. Small lumps may form. Mix vigorously, so that lumps will break and form a paste.
7. You can see in the picture, the semolina has absorbed all the water.
8. Add the smashed banana in the semolina mixture and mix well, if some pieces of banana is seen it’s ok. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame. So that semolina gets cooked well.
9. Add sugar and mix well. After adding sugar the mixture loosens and becomes liquidy. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves and gets mixed well with the rava.
10. Keep the flame low and keep stirring for 2 minutes.
11. Add 2 tbsp ghee and mix well. Keep stirring for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat.
12. Add fried cashew nuts and raisins with a pinch of green cardamom powder again. Mix well with the rava mixture.
13. Add the remaining ghee in between little by little and keep stirring until the semolina starts leaving the sides easily and ghee starts leaving the pan. It is the sign, that our banana kesari rava is ready. It will take few minutes on low flame.
14. Switch off and transfer into a plate or bowl.
15. Best served when hot.

Notes

1. Never compromise with ghee, add ghee as required.
2. If semolina looks dry after adding water, can add little water more.
3. You can add saffron or yellow colour in the water, so that it is mixed well.
4. Add the sugar when semolina is cooked and mixed well.
5. The banana kesari rava when cooked well, it will be soft and tastes delicious and yum.