I am delighted with this variation on regular kesari (also called sooji halwa). Pineapple juice adds a hint of fruity flavor to kesari, making it unique. Be sure you read my note on sugar** before you make this recipe.

Pineapple Semolina Pudding or Pineapple Kesari Recipe

serves about 8

Ingredients

4 cups fresh or canned pineapple juice*
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ghee
1/2 cup cashewnuts
1 cup semolina (rava or sooji)
1 cup sugar**
a pinch of saffron threads

* To make juice from fresh pineapple, blend 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple, with about 3 cups water to make a puree. Strain the juice, and measure out 4 cups.

**This will make a not-too-sweet dessert. If you want it sweeter, feel free to use more sugar, but keep in mind that how much sugar you need will vary slightly depending on how sweet your pineapple is. You may need to use less sugar if you are using canned pineapple juice.

Method

Heat a heavy bottomed wok or saucepan with 1/4 cup ghee. Add cashewnuts and fry on low heat till the nuts are golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove the the cashews from the ghee and place in a bowl.

Add semolina to the ghee. Stir on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes or till the semolina is toasted. Remove the semolina into a bowl. Wipe the pan clean.

Pour in pineapple juice and sugar. Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, and add the toasted semolina. Cook, stirring constantly on medium heat, till the pudding thickens – about 5 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on how coarse your semolina is.

When the pudding starts to thicken, add 2 tablespoons ghee and stir. Remove from heat. Stir in fried cashew nuts.

Sprinkle saffron on top.

Ingredients

Semolina or Farina or Cream of wheat – 1 cup
Milk – 3 cups
Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Green chilli – 1, for less heat, use crushed red pepper
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
American cheese singles – 3 slices, cut into small pieces
Cilantro – 2 tbsp finely chopped
Corn starch – 4 tbsp
Flour – 4 tbsp
Bread crumbs
Vegetable oil – for frying, plus 2 tbsp
Salt

Heat 2 tbsps oil in a large non stick pan. Add the cumin seeds and finely chopped chilli. When the cumin is fragrant, add the chopped onion and sweat till translucent. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute on medium for about 4 minutes.

Slowly add the semolina to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 minutes. Don’t let the semolina brown. Add the milk to the semolina 1/2 cup at a time. Stir well each time and let the semolina thicken. Let the semolina cook in the milk on medium heat.

Depending on the coarseness of your semolina, it should be done in 7 to 15 minutes. Mine was coarse and took 15 minutes. Finer semolina will cook sooner. The end result must be a tight dough like consistency (slightly thicker than polenta). If you can easily stir the semolina it is too loose and needs to cook more and tighten up.

Add the cilantro and cheese in the end and turn off heat. Taste the mixture, add salt accordingly and mix well. Cool the mixture completely. Once cool, refrigerate it for 2 hours (or freeze at this point for later use).

Take some of the mixture and roll it into a ball using your hands. Now flatten the ball slightly to form a cutlet. Repeat with the rest.

In a bowl, mix together the corn starch and flour. Add some water to make a slightly thick batter. Place the bread crumbs on a plate next to the batter. Heat oil for shallow frying.

Dip the cutlets in the flour batter. Place them in the plate with breadcrumbs and coat well. Shallow fry in hot oil till crisp and golden on the outside. Don’t crowd the cutlets in the pan while frying, otherwise they will get soggy.

Drain well on several layers of paper towels. Serve with ketchup.