The festival season has arrived! We just celebrated Krishna Janmashtami, and next week is Vinayaka Chaturthi. Every year, I make a few traditional foods, and this year, too, I have a couple of special recipes planned, the first of which is a delicious South Indian sweet POHA KESARI.

People in south India usually serve atukulu (poha) dishes and fresh homemade butter to Lord Krishna as naivedyam and draw footprints in houses to represent Krishna's childhood memories. I made this simple  poha kesari to keep with tradition and also so easy to make

and also I had stopped adding artificial colour to my Kesari for a few years, but given how an orange coloured Kesari is nostalgic and I grew up only seeing that, I decided to colour my poha Kesari - it is completely optional! You know how delicious hot food served on a Banana Leaf tastes? Do it now if you haven't already! This is my foolproof, time-tested recipe for Rava Kesari.  Try this recipe and make delicious sweet at home as neivedyam for god.
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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup atukulu / poha I used thick variety
• 3 and 1/2 tbspn Ghee
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cashews 
• 2 tbsp Raisins
• 1 cup water
• Pinch orange colour
• pinch cardamom powder

Preparation Method:

Dry roast poha until crisp.

Break to check, if it easily breaks then its crisp if it bends then roast for few more mins.

Cool down then transfer to mixer jar and grind to as lightly coarse mixture, Set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add cashews fry for a min, then add raisins fry till they turn golden. Remove and set aside.

Now in the same pan add poha mixture.Roast for 2 mins. Keep it to a side

Now Take 1 cup water in heavy bottomed pan and heat it up. Add colour and mix it well, Now add poha, keep stirring simultaneously. Keep stirring in low flame to avoid lumps.

It will get cooked in a minute or two, keep stirring it will become thick. At this stage add sugar and saffron water.

Mix well, it will be runny at this stage. Once it starts to thicken add remaining ghee. Mix well and keep stirring. At one stage the whole mixture will leave the sides of pan and come together.

This is the right stage so add fried cashews, raisins and cardamom powder give a quick mix and switch off.

Serve Poha Kesari warm.