Sooji/Suji Kheer or Rava Payasam is a quick, tasty, sweet recipe made with rava (semolina), milk, nuts, and flavored with cardamom powder.
A dessert is a must following a meal, whether it be ice cream, a sweet dish, or a bowl of our beloved kheer (or payasam, as it's called in the southern parts of India). Speaking of kheer, this rich, delicious, and creamy treat is every dessert lover's fantasy. Several ingredients may be used to make this delicacy. For example, rice kheer, vermicelli kheer, sabudana kheer, paneer kheer - the list goes on.
Today, I am sharing another easy Indian dessert recipe known as Rava Kheer. A popular sweet dish from Karnataka prepared with semolina (rava or sooji/suji), milk, sugar, cardamom powder, and nuts like cashews, this dish is simple and tasty. It is typically served in restaurants alongside South Indian Thali meals. I first tasted it at my aunt's place, and I fell in love with it. She served it with chiroti, which made it even more special.
It is also known as Rave payasa in Kannada, Rava pal payasam in Tamil, Suji ki kheer in Hindi.
Rava is commonly used in dishes like rava upma, rava ladoo, and rava kesari, but in this recipe, it transforms into a creamy, delicious dessert that's perfect for festivals, get-togethers, or any special occasion.
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Rava Kheer Ingredients
- Rava (Sooji): Use unroasted sooji coarse variety. It is also known as Bombay rava. It is available in any Indian grocery store or on Amazon.
- Milk: I used full-fat dairy milk, you can also make it with coconut milk, or almond milk, if you are vegan.
- Ghee: is used for roasting dry fruits. If you are vegan, use neutral oil for roasting.
- Sugar: I used refined sugar in this recipe.
- Cardamom powder: I have used freshly ground cardamom from 3 whole green cardamom pods.
- Mixed nuts: Used roasted cashews & raisins for this rava kheer dessert. You can also use almonds and pistachios.
How to Make Suji Kheer (Rava Payasam)
Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a kadai over medium heat.
Add the cashews, and roast until it turns light golden brown. Then add raisins and saute until they plump up. Then, remove the nuts and store them aside.
Add ¼ cup of unroasted Bombay rava to the kadai and roast on low flame until it turns aromatic; do not brown. It takes about 3-4 minutes. Stir continuously to prevent it from burning.
Then, slowly pour 3 cups of whole milk (or almond milk) into the kadai. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
Simmer and stir occasionally until the sooji cooks well, and the kheer has thickened slightly. It takes 6-8 minutes.
Then add ¼ cup sugar and stir well until the sugar dissolves completely. Continue to cook further for another 2-3 minutes until the kheer thickens slightly.
Lastly, stir in the ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and roasted nuts. Take the sooji kheer off the stove. It will thicken further as it cools down.
Serve Sooji kheer warm or chilled.
Serving Suggestions
Rava Payasam can be served hot or chilled based on your preference on special occasions or festivals.
Storage Suggestions
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
After refrigeration, the kheer may thicken a bit. You can adjust the consistency by adding a little warm milk while reheating.
Tips to Make the Best Rava Payasam
- Roasting Rava: Lightly roast the rava in ghee before adding milk. This enhances the flavor and prevents it from becoming mushy. You may also use fine sooji.
- Stir Continuously: While adding milk to the roasted rava, stir continuously, or else the lumps can be formed.
- Consistency: The kheer thickens as it cools down or during refrigeration, so make sure to make a slightly runnier consistency while cooking.
Variations
- Sweetener: You can use any sweetener of your choice. You may also use jaggery instead of refined sugar. Just make sure it's organic and add it at the end, as impurities in the jaggery may curdle the milk.
- Milk: Use whole milk for a thick and creamy kheer. If you are vegan, use almond or cashew milk.
- Condensed Milk: You can add 2-3 tablespoons of condensed milk (reduce the sugar amount) to thicken and enhance the flavor.
- Choice of Nuts: Add any nuts of your choice to this kheer.
More Indian Sweet Recipes
Sooji Kheer (Rava Payasam)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 2 tablespoons cashews
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- ¼ cup sooji/semolina/rava coarse
- 3 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a kadai over medium heat.
- Add the cashews, and roast until it turns light golden brown. Then add raisins and saute until they plump up. Then, remove the nuts and store them aside.
- Add the unroasted Bombay rava to the kadai and roast on low flame until it turns aromatic; do not brown. It takes about 3-4 minutes. Stir continuously to prevent it from burning.
- Then, slowly pour the milk into the kadai. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
- Simmer and stir occasionally until the sooji cooks well, and the kheer has thickened slightly. It takes 6-8 minutes.
- Then add the sugar and stir well until the sugar dissolves completely. Continue to cook further for another 2-3 minutes until the kheer thickens slightly.
- Lastly, stir in the cardamom powder and roasted nuts. Take the sooji kheer off the stove. It will thicken further as it cools down.
- Serve Sooji kheer warm or chilled.
Notes
Tips to Make the Best Rava Payasam
- Roasting Rava: Lightly roast the rava in ghee before adding milk. This enhances the flavor and prevents it from becoming mushy. You may also use fine sooji.
- Stir Continuously: While adding milk to the roasted rava, stir continuously, or else the lumps can be formed.
- Consistency: The kheer thickens as it cools down or during refrigeration, so make sure to make a slightly runnier consistency while cooking.
Variations
- Sweetener: You can use any sweetener of your choice. You may also use jaggery instead of refined sugar. Just make sure it's organic and add it at the end, as impurities in the jaggery may curdle the milk.
- Milk: Use whole milk for a thick and creamy kheer. If you are vegan, use almond or cashew milk.
- Condensed Milk: You can add 2-3 tablespoons of condensed milk (reduce the sugar amount) to thicken and enhance the flavor.
- Choice of Nuts: Add any nuts of your choice to this kheer.
Nutrition
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