Jalapeño Mint Kesari / Sweet and Spicy Kesari

Much cherished Classic Indian Kesari with a unique twist is a brand new recipe I created. A refreshing and lip-smacking mocktail, inspired and led me to experiment which resulted in this innovative Jalapeño Mint Kesari. It's remarkably delectable with the flawless aromatic mint and a hint of jalapeño peppers in the form of the authentic Indian sweet prepared on any day. The moment of fruition comes when your taste buds livens up with this refreshing and vibrant combination. 

This sweet is titled as Kesari due to the ingredient kesar or saffron strands that stands out with its flavor prominently. In this recipe the dominating flavors are the mint and the jalapeñe peppers. A good substitute for jalapeñeo is serranos pepper.

Experimented along with the basic kesari ingredients being semolina/ rava, simple sugar syrup and a pinch of cardamom flavor. The simple sugar syrup has a multitude of uses and is a great addition to this recipe. The wait for a minimum of 24 - 48 hours is the only hitch for the deseeded jalapeñeo's to dunk in simple sugar syrup, as it sits cozily in the refrigerator. This step reduced the spicy heat it emits yet retained the flavor very well. Fish out the peppers and grind to a smooth puree along with the freshly picked mint leaves. The reserved sugar syrup is used to sweeten the kesari. Now prepare your kasari with this puree and syrup. It's that simple!

I always prefer 1:4 ratio of Rava to water for my kesari for a halwa consistency. This doesn't dry or harden your kesari as it cools. You may adjust it as per your preferences making sure you use no more than 4 cups of water in total.  

Watch out when working with jalapeños while you deseed and chop them. Keep your hands away from your face especially eyes to prevent any irritation. A good suggestion is to use gloves if your not used to handling these hot peppers. 

Smack-you-lips with this sweet and spicy Kesari that's accentuated with abundant flavors. Don't forget to tag and leave me a comment below if you get to try my version of Jalapeno Mint Kesari. I would love to hear how you liked this combination of flavors.

Immerse TIME
Prep TIME
cook TIME

Category: Sweets, dessert
Cuisine: Indian fusion
Level: Easy
Serves: 4

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 450
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 45 g69 %
Saturated Fat 26 g129 %
Monounsaturated Fat 12 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg0 %
Sodium 4 mg0 %
Potassium 71 mg2 %
Total Carbohydrate 10 g3 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g3 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 2 g4 %
Vitamin A35 %
Vitamin C6 %
Calcium1 %
Iron3 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
INGREDIENTS
  1. Jalapeño peppers/ mirchi - 2 nos (medium sized) 
  2. Mint - 6 sprigs 
  3. Cardamom - 1 whole or 1 pinch powdered 
  4. Sugar (raw unbleached) - 3/4 cup
  5. Water - 4 cups in total
  6. Ghee (used homemade)- 3/4 cup
  7. Cashew Nuts - about 10 nos
  8. Raisins - about 10 nos
  9. Semolina / Sooji / Rava (fine) - 1 cup
  10. Saffron /Kesar - few strands (optional)
  11. Green food color (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Deseed the jalapeño peppers and chop them about the same size. 

2. In a heavy bottomed pan/ kadai* add the sugar and 1 cup of water to make simple sugar syrup. Allow the sugar to dissolve with occasional stirring. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. Once the syrup cools down, drop the prepared peppers and keep it covered and refrigerated up 12 - 48 hours. 



3. Strain or fish out the soaked peppers using a wired skimmer strainer. Grind it to a puree along with mint leaves and cardamom if using whole.  To this you may add 1 cup of water to grind. 


4. In a heavy pan/ kadai, roast the rava for 3-4 mins until the aroma dissipates. Continue stirring using a spatula or a whisk.  Make sure the heat is reduced to low at this point to prevent any burns. Remove and set aside.


5. In the same pan, pour in half of the above ghee mentioned and set on medium heat. Once the ghee is heated add the cashews and raisins if you like them roasted*. I usually skip roasting the raisins but reserve to add in the end before I turn off the heat. Once the cashews turns light golden brown remove and set aside. 

6. Again, using the same pan, pour in the puree which would be about a cup. On medium heat, allow it to cook until it comes to a boil. 


7. Now sprinkle the rava as you keep stirring to avoid any lumps.  Let it cook for about 4-5 mins. When the water content reduces, add the reserved sugar syrup which is about a cup to the above mixture. Continue stirring along with kesar strands, green food color (I skipped), cardamom powder if you haven't added them to puree. 


8. Once the water almost dissipates, add the remaining ghee, roasted cashews and raisins. Give it a good stir and remove from heat once you see halwa consistency. Always transfer to another container to retain the moisture. This Kesari is best when served immediately or reheat to serve. 

NOTES AND TIPS

Using homemade ghee or granulated ghee results in the best kesari.

Heavy bottomed kadai or non-stick works well for this recipe. 

I prefer not to roast the raisins as it tends to lose its natural taste.

The refrigerated jalapeño peppers immersed in the simple sugar syrup can sit up to 3 days.



Comments

  1. Sweet n spicy version of Kesari. Tempts me to try it soon

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure you would love it Deepa.Thanks dear for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. Pretty interesting!! Did you feel the spicy flavor too? Will try in sometime. Thanks Amudha for your creativity.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It sure is! Yes, very subtle spice will be felt along with it's intense flavors. Thank you Kiru for your motivating words!

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  3. Unique idea. Beautiful color. Tempted to try 🤤

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a bunch Priya! Yeah, it's a must try 😊

      Delete

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