Thursday, August 26, 2010

Narali Bhaat! [Sweet Coconut Rice]

NARALI BHAAT
[Sweet Coconut Rice]
Narali Bhaat is a typical Maharashtrian preparation. Naral means coconut and bhaat is rice in Marathi. This preparation is made as a "naivedya" for Narali Poornima. It can be enjoyed almost as a dessert. Many times Indian festival meals includes a sweet rice dish and this one is particularly festive.


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Basmati rice
  • 1 1/2 cup jaggery, crushed
  • 1 cup freshly coconut, grated
  • Few cashews
  • Few almonds
  • Few golden raisins
  • 4-5 strings of saffron
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
  • 5 drops yellow food color
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 whole cardamoms
  • 2 cups hot water

Method:

  1. Wash and drain the rice half-an-hour before preparation.
  2. Heat ghee in a pan and add the whole cardamoms, cloves, rice and sauté for two to three minutes.
  3. Then add hot water, food color and cardamom powder.
  4. Take another pan and add jaggery, coconut, cashew, raisins and saffron. Stir well till it mix with each other properly.
  5. After the water has been almost absorbed from the rice, add the above mixture to it. Stir well. Cook on low flame until jaggery melts.
  6. Cover the "Narli Bhaat" with a lid and cook for five minutes.
  7. Serve hot by garnishing it with dryfruits. Smiley face innovative garnishing is suggested by my hubby :-)

Tips:

  • Cook rice in open pot. Take Water double quantity of rice and stir it occasionally so that it will not become too sticky.
  • Use fresh grated coconut so that the taste of coconut comes good while preparing the rice.