Mango Kesari

This Mango Kesari or Mango Sheera will melt in your mouth with bursting flavors of mango & ghee, so delectable & very addictive! It’s the best Mango Kesari that you’ll ever make in an Instant Pot. Watch the Video below & don’t miss the stove top method.

Mango Kesari Recipe Video

Mango Sheera or Mango Kesari

This is how I make Mango Kesari in a jiffy in my Instant Pot.

Tons of flavors packed with fine grains of semolina drenched in homemade pure ghee & doused in Alphanso Mango pulp from the tin.

What a party of flavors!

I can graze on this Mango sheera days in & days out 😀

The chopped almonds, the plumped up golden raisins & the exotic saffron soaked in water makes this delicious dessert an instant hit.

The saffron is certainly the elixir that takes this Kesari recipe a notch up. It adds color & the Kesari or saffron flavor. So, irresistibly good!

Mango Sheera made with Semolina makes an incredible economical dessert that you can make & relish anytime.

It also makes a filling lunch box recipe for kids & adults alike.

When paired with hot pooris it makes an ultimate Indian breakfast that no one can stop eating.

If you are just like us “Kesari fanatics” than do not miss this recipe ever.

You can ditch the fresh mangoes & rely completely on the store bought mango pulp that comes in tins to make an epic Mango Kesari.

You can make it with milk or water, choice is yours.

You can also sub 50% ghee with canola oil but pure ghee is highly recommended for best flavors.

I don’t measure ghee when I make any sheera or Kesari recipe 😛

But, just for the purpose of filing up the recipe card below & sharing it with you guys I had to measure it this time.

My point of telling you the above fact is that you may add as much ghee as you want to 😉 Not much rules here, add ghee liberally 😀

What is Mango Kesari or Mango Sheera?

Mango Kesari or Mango Sheera is a delicious Indian dessert recipe made with Semolina. Mango Kesari is made by roasting Semolina in ghee, cooking it with water or milk, than sweetening it up with mango pulp & sugar and adding textures & flavors with nuts, raisins & saffron strands.

It’s best enjoyed after meals as a dessert but few families also enjoy it as their lunch box recipe paired with pooris (deep fried Indian bread) or as their special Sunday breakfast.

After all Sundays are meant to indulge 😀

Mango Kesari Ingredients

1. Mango Pulp: You can make mango pulp at home by pureeing fresh mango flesh or pulp. In that case always choose the mango varities that are not fibrous, like Alphonso, Kesari, Dusseheri etc. Mango season over? No worries buy the best Mango pulp that are available in tins. I used Alphonso pulp.
2. Sugar: Use white sugar or cane sugar. Using cane sugar will slightly alter the color of the Mango Kesari & make it dark.
3. Liquid: You may use either water or milk. Using milk will make the Mango Sheera more rich & creamy. For today’s recipe I used water.
4. Saffron: Soak saffron strands in warm water & use the whole thing. Saffron gives a wonderful fragrance to the dish & a gorgeous saffron color which is iconic of Kesari recipes.
5. Nuts: Chopped almonds tastes best.
6. Raisins: Use golden rains & not the black ones.
7. Ghee: It’s highly recommended. But, if you prefer you may sub 50% of the ghee with any white oil or may be cook it completely in white oil & just add 1-2 teaspoons of ghee at the end for flavor & aroma.

Pro tip: How to Puree fresh Mangoes? Choose a non fibrous variety, peel & scoop out the flesh & add it to a blender. Blend well to puree consistency.

3 Tips to make the Best Mango Kesari in Instant Pot

1. Roast the semolina or sooji very well – You may dry roast it before beginning with the recipe. Or you may roast it in ghee as the recipe suggests. I always stock on a container full of semolina or sooji that’s dry roasted. So, for today’s recipe I didn’t roast the semolina for a long time in ghee. But, if the sooji is not previously dry roasted than do roast it in ghee very well until the semolina begins to change color & becomes fragrant.
2. For best flavors cook in ghee – It adds tons of flavor & it’s a must for this recipe. Ghee sure does makes the dish rich but if you use ghee you may skip milk as the cooking liquid to make it less rich. Cook with water instead.
3. Fry the raisins in ghee first – Plump up those raisins by frying them in hot ghee. They add lots of body & taste to the Mango Sheera recipe.

Pro Tip: To save on the roasting time you can dry roast semolina after buying it from the store & than store it in an air tight container. This increases the shelf life of the sooji & prevents it from insect attack.

How long does Mango Kesari last in the fridge?

You may store Mango Kesari for 2 weeks in the fridge. Store it in air tight container for best flavors.

Can you freeze Mango Kesari?

Yes, you can!

Fill up portion size freezer safe bags with Mango sheera & freeze them for 2 months.

Thaw, re-heat & enjoy.

Re-heating tips

1. Stored in fridge? Do this– The Mango Kesari will solidify & will clump up at cold temperatures. Don’t worry if this happens because it doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with the recipe. It’s cooked with ghee & hence it solidifies. When you are ready to serve reheat in microwave oven or on the stove top & serve immediately. The fats will soften up & you’ll have soft, luscious Mango Kesari one more time.
2. Wondering how to reheat frozen Mango sheera? Do this- Thaw the freezer packets on the countertop or over night in the fridge. Than, reheat following the above technique.

Serving Ideas

You can best enjoy Mango Kesari or Mango Sheera as a dessert after meals directly from a bowl.

Or you can also enjoy it as a side with some hot Pooris or Chapathis.

We love the Poori combo 🙂

How to make Mango Kesari in Instant Pot?

Steps in words below pictures

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