Rava Barfi (Semolina Fudge)

Name: Rava Barfi
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: 1 cup (180 g) fine semolina (rava); ¾ cup (70 g) fresh grated coconut; ¾ cup (150 g) sugar; ¼ cup (60 ml) full-fat milk; 3 tbsp ghee; ½ tsp cardamom powder; 10 saffron strands soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk; 2 tbsp pistachios, slivered (for top); Ghee for greasing tray; The rava-coconut mixture must be roasted properly — pale roasted rava gives a raw semolina taste; Work quickly when combining — the mixture sets fast once it leaves heat; For a richer version, replace ¼ cup milk with condensed milk

🟢 Veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Easy

Dense, coconut-fragrant fudge squares made from fine semolina, fresh coconut, sugar and ghee — one of the most economical and quickest-to-make festival sweets in Maharashtra. Unlike khoya barfi which requires expensive mawa, rava barfi uses pantry staples available in every Maharashtrian kitchen, making it the go-to sweet when unexpected festival guests arrive.

⏱️10 minPrep

🔥25 minCook

🕒35 minTotal

🍽️6Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Rava Barfi

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan over medium-low heat.
Add semolina.
Roast, stirring continuously, for 6–8 minutes until pale golden and nutty.
Add fresh grated coconut.
Continue roasting for 3 minutes until coconut is also lightly golden.
Remove from heat.
In a separate pan, combine sugar and milk over medium heat.
Stir until sugar dissolves completely.
Add saffron milk.
Bring to a gentle simmer — do not boil vigorously.
Pour the hot sugar-milk solution into the roasted rava-coconut mixture (which is off the heat).
Stir immediately and vigorously to combine — the rava will absorb the liquid rapidly.
Return the combined mixture to the pan over low heat.
Stir continuously for 8–10 minutes as the mixture thickens, adding the remaining 1 tbsp ghee and cardamom halfway through.
The mixture is ready when it pulls away cleanly from the pan sides and a small amount placed on a greased plate holds its shape.
Pour onto a ghee-greased tray.
Spread to 1.5 cm thickness.
Press pistachio slivers into the top surface.
Cool for 20 minutes, then refrigerate for 45 minutes until firm.
Cut into squares or diamond shapes with a greased knife.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 230 kcal | 3.5 g | 36 g | 8.5 g | 2 g | A go-to festival sweet in middle-class and rural Maharashtra — made when khoya is unavailable or too expensive but the occasion demands a sweet. Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri are the primary occasions. Also commonly made for teacher appreciation (guru diwali), children's birthday celebrations in traditional homes, and as a quick prasad for unexpected puja occasions. Regional variation: Nashik district families add 2 tbsp of poppy seeds (khus khus) roasted with the rava for extra texture. ---

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