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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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