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Parsi ravo
રવો: Parsi semolina pudding cooked creamy in milk with nutmeg and cardamom, topped with fried almonds and raisins
Ravo is the sweet a Parsi family in Surat or Navsari makes on a birthday morning, on Navroz and after the navjote, served warm in small bowls with a crown of ghee-fried almonds and raisins. Semolina is roasted gently in ghee and then cooked in a lot of milk, so it ends up spoonable and creamy, much looser than a North Indian sheera, scented with nutmeg and a little rose water. Many households beat in an egg for richness; this version leaves it out so it stays vegetarian. The mistake is adding the semolina to boiling milk without roasting it first, which makes a gluey, raw-tasting pudding. Chef's tip: take ravo off the heat while it still looks slightly too loose; it thickens a lot as it sits.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the ravo
- 1 ⅜ oz ghee
- 2 ⅛ oz fine semolina (rava)
- 3 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 tsp rose water (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Melt 1 ⅜ oz ghee in a heavy pan over low heat. Add 2 ⅛ oz fine semolina (rava) and roast, stirring, for 6–7 minutes until it smells like warm biscuits and is barely golden.
7 minStep 2: Meanwhile warm 3 ¼ cups full-fat milk in another pan until steaming.
4 minStep 3: Pour the hot milk into the semolina in a thin stream, whisking all the time so no lumps form. Simmer on low for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until it is like a thick pouring custard.
10 minStep 4: Stir in 2 ⅞ oz sugar, ½ tsp ground cardamom and ¼ tsp grated nutmeg and cook 3 minutes more, until glossy. Take off the heat and add ½ tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp rose water.
3 minStep 6: Spoon the ravo into bowls and scatter the fried nuts and raisins over. Serve warm.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does parsi ravo take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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