Sheera ~ The Golden Yellow Dessert Loved by all.

“Sheera ~ The Golden Yellow Dessert Loved by all” … A most common sweet dish prepared as Naivedyam / Prasadam on auspicious days or just as a dessert when you want to celebrate … also when you just crave to eat something sweet, simple and that which can be prepared fast … Yummy Yumz …....

** Sheera needs no introduction. This golden sweet colored dish is prepared almost in every Indian home and is also known as Sooji Halwa in most parts of India, Rava Sheera in western India, Rava Kesari in southern parts and by and large in Konkani homes it’s just called “Sheera”. The most common one prepared as Naivedyam / Prasadam / offering to God in Hindu homes that is loved by young and old alike. Many people relish this with poori and the combo of poori with sheera is another common one in southern parts. I have prepared many real fruit flavored sheera, like pomegranate, mango, saffron, chickoo etc. but it came as a surprise when I found that the simple ordinary Sheera, the traditional method of preparation was missing and I had never blogged it. 

** Somehow, when I read messages asking for simple measurements of ingredients for common dishes saying its not there in the blog, it really gives me a bolt. I somehow, never realized that this one was also missing till my friend queried. Being a common dish at times never makes us realize the absence till pointed out and then I realize that there are younger generations who want to know of older traditional recipes, their parents or grand parents used to make and somehow are not able to get it correct. Well here is the recipe to the simple sheera that is the most delicious dish of all times. Easy to make, just needs some patience in frying of rava and do not hurry that process, so that you get a perfectly made sheera, that can be cut to shapes on cooling. 

** Ingredients :

Bombay Rava / Sooji / Rulavu : 1 cup

Sugar : 1 heaped cup (+/- depending upon individual taste)

Ghee : ½ cup

Saffron : Few strands (soaked in 1 tblsp warm milk)

OR

Yellow Colour : one pinch

Cardamaom Powder : ½ tsp

Cashew Nuts : 2 tblsp

Raisins : 1 tblsp

Water : 2 cups (Boiling)

** If using saffron soak it in warm milk and keep it ready. Keep the water for boiling in a vessel ready too.

** In a thick bottomed Kadai heat ghee, when the ghee melts and becomes thin add in the cashew nuts and fry till the colour changer slightly. Now add in the raisins and further fry till they swell. Immediately remove using slotted spoon, so that the ghee remains in the kadai. Keep the fried cashews and raisins aside for garnishing.

** In the same ghee add in the Bombay Rava (Not the very fine one used for chiroti) and fry for some time on medium heat till the rawness goes and you get a nice aroma. This takes about 10 minutes. Keep stirring with a spatula so that the rava does not get burnt. This step is important to get a tasty sheera. 

** Once the rava is fried well, add in either the pinch of yellow colour or soaked saffron and mix well. Now make the heat very low keeping it to minimum and slowly add in the boiling water. Be careful when you add the water as it splutter a bit, so stay far and pour little slowly and not in one go. Mix well so that there are no lumps. The rava cooks fast so you should stir it really well quickly. You a large handled spatula, to avoid burning your hand if you are new to preparing of sheera. 

** Once the rava has cooked and the water has almost dried up add in sugar and stir well, add more or less as keeping in mind sweetness preference in your home. But I add that which is mentioned as I like my sheera sweet, but not too sweet and this measurement gives it right. Mix well and let the sugar and rava both are cooked together till done and there is no moisture left. Keep stirring on low heat until sheera leaves the sides of the kadai. 

** Now you can either serve the sheera by a large serving spoon or cutting them into nice square or diamond cuts. If you want to serve them like pieces. Prepare a tray / plate to which melted ghee has been smeared evenly prior to starting the sheera process. Once sheera is done, pour the mixture into a plate and spread evenly with the back of the spatula or a tumbler and level the sheera nicely. 

** Garnish with the fried cashew and raisins on top of the sheera kept aside for garnishing and roll with a rolling pin so that they stick to the sheera in a even layer. Let the sheera cool a bit. With a blunt knife put cuts on the sheera to make them into square / diamond shape (or any shape you desire. Once completely cooled you can gently remove the pieces by inserting the blunt knife and loosening it to remove it from the plate.

** “Sheera ~ The Golden Yellow Dessert Loved by all” is done and ready to be served. Serve Sheera Hot or Cold as per your liking. You can also serve sheera with poori, or even stuff the sheera inside poori dough while rolling and deep fry them. The combo is very much to children’s liking. Most of Konkani Saraswats prepare this as Naivedyam / Prasadam and offer it to God and then distribute among family members and friends. 

** Do try this out and yes will be posting soon all the common dishes / desserts too. Do let me know if there is any particular recipe, that you would like to know and I will definitely share the same if I know. Do add in your response on comment section or on my page or you can even mail me your queries and help me in building a lovely blog that will be helpful to all. 

** An earnest Request : There are many more recipes of similar type in the blog. For all my Recipes, use the search option or the label section in the Blog. If you are still not able to find it please leave a message in comment section or mail me the same. You can also go to my page (add on the left side of blog) and leave a message and I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible … Thank you. I have also started a food group for "Konkani Saraswats" by the name "KONKANI DELICACIES" the link of which is posted on the left side of the blog page. Do join us in our culinary journey. I strongly believe in Sharing and always endorse that "Sharing Is Caring".