Narali Bhaat | Sweet Coconut Rice from Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, Narali Bhaat is a sweet Coconut Rice made with rice, grated coconut and jaggery for Narali Poornima or Shravani Poornima.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rice
- 1 Cup Grated Jaggery, Gur
- 3/4 Cup Fresh Grated Coconut
- 8-10 Cloves
- 10-12 Saffron Strands
- 1/3 Cup Mixed Dry Fruits Kishmish, Split Cashews, and Chopped Almonds
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 2 Cups Water
Instructions
Cooking the Rice
- Wash the rice well and set aside in a colander for 30 minutes.
- In a heavy-bottomed vessel or kadhai, over medium flame, heat 1.5 tbsp ghee.
- Add the cloves and stir-fry till they swell.
- Add the washed and drained rice, and mix well.
- Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add saffron and 2 cups water.
- Mix well.
- Over medium heat, bring the water to a boil.
- Cover and cook till the rice is completely done. Takes about 7-10 minutes. Check regularly and mix with a light hand to ensure that the rice does not stick or burn.
- When the rice is done, turn off the heat and set aside.
Cooking the Coconut
- In a wok, over medium heat, heat 1.5 tbsp ghee.
- Add the dry fruits and stir-fry.
- Add the grated coconut and mix well.
- Add the grated jaggery and mix well.
- Cook over medium heat till the jaggery melts. Mix regularly.
- Add about 1 tbsp of water and mix well. This is just to ensure that the jaggery-coconut will mix well with rice.
- Turn off the heat.
Putting it Together
- Add the jaggery-coconut mix to the cooked rice.
- With a light hand, mix well.
- If there is some water, over medium heat, cook covered for 2-3 minutes.
- The Narali Bhaat is ready to eat!
Notes
- Before adding the jaggery-coconut mix to the rice, ensure that the rice is cooked completely and well. Once you add the jaggery, the rice will not cook.
- Instead to saffron, you can add powdered cardamon. If you use cardamom, then add it when you are melting the jaggery.
- The 1 tbsp water that I add to the jaggery-coconut mix just makes it easier to mix with rice. This helps me in ensuring that the rice does not break when I am mixing. Do not add more water because then you will have a watery Narali Bhaat.