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Rava Sheera is a traditional South Indian dessert. A rich creamy pudding with cashews and raisins,it's traditionally served with a dab of Shir-kand (sweetened condensed yogurt).
We've been working hard lately to make a Friday script deadline. For us this means eating in, no wandering around town and a craving for desserts. It seems that any time I'm confined for too long I want to start whipping up dessert. I'm sure there's something deeply psychological about it but who cares when one wants something sweet. What to do, what to do.
Since it's been suddenly drastically cold here at night (good for the grapes) I decided that a warm semolina pudding would just hit the spot. Of course, I had no semolina. I did have polenta…
View Full Recipe at The Colors Of Indian Cooking
.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe've%20been%20working%20hard%20lately%20to%20make%20a%20Friday%20script%20deadline.%20For%20us%20this%20means%20eating%20in,%20no%20wandering%20around%20town%20and%20a%20craving%20for%20desserts.%20It%20seems%20that%20any%20time%20I'm%20confined%20for%20too%20long%20I%20want%20to%20start%20whipping%20up%20dessert.%20I'm%20sure%20there's%20something%20deeply%20psychological%20about%20it%20but%20who%20cares%20when%20one%20wants%20something%20sweet.%20What%20to%20do,%20what%20to%20do.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESince%20it's%20been%20suddenly%20drastically%20cold%20here%20at%20night%20(good%20for%20the%20grapes)%20I%20decided%20that%20a%20warm%20semolina%20pudding%20would%20just%20hit%20the%20spot.%20Of%20course,%20I%20had%20no%20semolina.%20I%20did%20have%20polenta%20however,%20and%20I%20figured...well,%20I%20could%20just%20switch%20out%20the%20semolina%20for%20the%20polenta.%20That%20would%20work.%20Wouldn't%20it?%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOff%20to%20the%20internets%20I%20went,%20to%20look%20up%20the%20technical%20difference%20between%20the%20two.%20What%20I%20found%20was,%20that%20they%20could%20be%20switched%20out.%20There%20would%20be%20a%20different%20texture,%20but%20I%20like%20the%20sort%20of%20grainy%20crispy%20mouth%20feel%20of%20polenta%20with%20wild%20mushrooms%20etc.%20Would%20it%20work%20in%20a%20dessert%20though%20with%20raisins?%20I%20had%20to%20try.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20started%20with:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E1.)%202%20Tbs.%20of%20chopped%20pistachios,%20and%202%20Tb%20of%20golden%20raisins.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20sauteed%20them%20lightly%20in%202%20Tbs%20of%20oil%20in%20a%20karhai%20or%20skillet%20till%20the%20raisins%20puffed%20up%20and%20the%20pistachios%20started%20to%20toast%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20set%20them%20aside%20on%20a%20paper%20towel%20to%20drain%20and%20wiped%20out%20my%20pan.%20Then,%20I%20took%20my%20pan%20and%20added%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E1.)%206%20Tbs%20of%20unsalted%20butter.%20I%20melted%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E2.)%20To%20that%20I%20added%201%20and%201/3%20cups%20of%20polenta%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E3.)%20then%20I%20took%20it%20off%20the%20burner%20and%20added%20in%201%20cup%20of%20sugar.%20This%20time%20I%20used%20regular%20white%20sugar,%20next%20time%20I'm%20planning%20on%20doing%20this%20with%20Jaggery.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E4.)%20a%20pinch%20of%20powdered%20green%20cardamom%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E5.)%20a%20pinch%20of%20saffron%20dissolved%20in%202%20Tbs%20of%20warm%20milk%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E6.)%202%20Tbs%20of%20rose%20water%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20stirred%20all%20of%20this%20good%20stuff%20into%20my%20semolina%20and%20then%20put%20it%20back%20on%20a%20low%20flame%20to%20cook%20for%20another%205%20minutes%20or%20so.%20Then,%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E7.)%20I%20added%20in%20my%20pistachios%20and%20raisins%20and%20took%20it%20off%20the%20stove.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20put%20the%20whole%20thing%20in%20a%20buttered%20cake%20pan%20let%20it%20cool%20then%20popped%20it%20in%20the%20fridge%20for%20a%20couple%20of%20hours.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EA%20note%20about%20this%20fridge%20business.%20Do%20this%20if%20you're%20planning%20on%20serving%20this%20cold,%20or%20at%20room%20temperature%20as%20I%20did.%20The%20pudding%20would%20be%20equally%20good,%20if%20maybe%20not%20a%20tad%20better%20served%20warm,%20which%20is%20what%20I'm%20planning%20on%20doing%20the%20next%20time%20I%20make%20this.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENow%20to%20dress%20this%20dish%20up%20so%20that%20people%20don't%20say,%20%22what%20is%20this...mush?%22%20when%20it's%20served.%20That's%20where%20the%20%20Shir-kand%20comes%20in.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EShir-kand%20is%20a%20simple%20reduced%20yogurt%20that%20can%20easily%20be%20made%20in%20the%20fridge%20on%20a%20couple%20of%20hours%20notice%20and%20looks%20just%20so%20cool%20hanging%20around%20till%20it's%20ready.%20This%20is%20how%20to%20do%20the%20Shir-kand.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20put%201%20and%201/2%20cup%20of%20plain%20yogurt%20into%20a%20square%20of%20cheesecloth%20twisted%20it%20up%20and%20suspended%20it%20from%20a%20wooden%20spoon,%20over%20a%20bowl%20on%20the%20top%20shelf%20of%20my%20fridge.%20It%20doesn't%20get%20any%20easier%20than%20that.%20Just%20let%20it%20hang%20around%20and%20drip%20till%20you're%20ready%20for%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETight.%20Right?%20But%20we're%20not%20done%20yet.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBefore%20you%20top%20anything%20with%20this%20add%20in%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E1.)%20a%20pinch%20of%20powdered%20green%20cardamom%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E2.)%203%20Tbs%20of%20sugar%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E3.)%201/2%20a%20pinch%20of%20saffron%20dissolved%20in%20a%20tablespoon%20of%20warm%20milk.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBlend%20all%20of%20this%20into%20your%20Shir-kand%20and%20you're%20good%20to%20go.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENow,%20when%20I%20served%20this%20I%20must%20admit%20I%20was%20concerned.%20I%20didn't%20know%20whether%20the%20polenta%20would%20be%20too%20grainy%20for%20this%20dessert%20or%20would%20it%20add%20an%20interesting%20texture.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20evening%20started%20off,%20or%20rather%20was%20supposed%20to%20start%20off%20with%20a%20screening%20of%20Yasujiro%20Ozu's%20film%20%20Autumn%20Afternoon%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E20%20minutes%20into%20the%20film,%20the%20disc%20glitched,%20stuttered%20and%20stopped.Ok,%20so%20scratch%20Ozu%20for%20this%20evening.%20Since%20we%20have%20Netflix%20streaming%20with%20our%20new%20blu-ray%20player%20we%20decided%20to%20sample%20a%20few%20streaming%20films,%20a%20Danish%20film%20that%20turned%20out%20to%20be%20blurry,%20the%20AnnMargaret%20opening%20from%20Bye%20Bye%20Birdy,%20(yeah,%20we're%20Mad%20Men%20fans)and%20finally%20Ed%20Wood's%20classic%20film%20Bride%20of%20the%20Monster.%20But%20without%20Johnny%20Depp,%20Ed%20Wood%20wasn't%20quite%20Ed%20Wood,%20if%20you%20know%20what%20I'm%20talking%20about.%20I%20was%20getting%20very%20nervous.%20The%20evening%20was%20not%20off%20to%20an%20auspicious%20start%20and%20here%20I%20was%20going%20to%20foist%20my%20polenta%20pudding%20on%20company.%20If%20it%20failed%20it%20would%20be%20a%20perfect%20end%20to%20a%20not%20so%20perfect%20evening.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20warned%20everyone.%20I%20spooned%20it%20into%20my%20little%20French%20bee%20glasses.%20Our%20guest%20who%20travels%20to%20India%20to%20visit%20friends%20regularly%20dug%20in.%20My%20husband%20tasted.%20They%20liked%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20polenta%20worked%20just%20fine,%20not%20as%20silky%20smooth%20as%20the%20semolina%20might%20have%20been%20but%20delicious%20in%20a%20rustic%20sort%20of%20way.%20I'll%20definitely%20try%20it%20again..after%20I%20try%20it%20with%20for%20real%20semolina,%20just%20because%20I%20have%20to.%20As%20soon%20as%20I%20can%20get%20my%20pie%20hooks%20on%20another%20copy%20of%20Autumn%20Afternoon.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}