Kīsāra
Sanskrit
गोधूमचूर्णादुद्धृत्य शूर्पेणाभ्याहतान् कणान् ॥ ८६ ॥ दुग्धाक्तान् घृतपक्वांश्च सितया च विमिश्रितान् । एलामरिचचूर्णेन युक्तान्कासारसंज्ञितान् ॥ ८७ ॥
English
The coarse grains taken up out of the wheat flour and beaten out with a winnowing-basket, moistened with milk, cooked in ghee, mixed with white sugar, and joined with powder of cardamom and pepper: these are called kāsāra.
A sweet, rich preparation of coarse wheat grain toasted in ghee and spiced with cardamom and black pepper. The source calls for a deliberately coarse grain — the gritty fraction beaten out of the flour with a winnowing basket — which keeps the grains distinct rather than collapsing into a smooth paste.
Ingredients
- 150 g coarse semolina (coarse rava/sooji) or dalia (cracked wheat) — not fine semolina
- 100 ml whole milk
- 80 g ghee
- 100 g white sugar
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp finely ground black pepper
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Moisten the coarse grain with the milk — enough to dampen it evenly and no more, so it stays crumbly rather than becoming a slurry. Leave it 10 minutes for the milk to soak in.
- Melt the ghee in a heavy pan over medium-low heat. Add the moistened grain and cook, stirring constantly, for 12–15 minutes, until it looks golden and smells nutty. The grains should stay loose and separate.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sugar, cardamom, pepper, and salt. Serve warm in small portions.