Coconut Rice Narali Bhat

Coconut Rice in marathi

Time: Approx 45 to 50 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Rice
1 and 1/2 cup Water
2 + 1 tbsp Ghee
2-3 cloves
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
1 cup Jaggery, grated (Tip 2)
1 cup fresh coconut, scraped
8-10 cashew nuts
8-10 Raisins

Method:
1) Wash the rice and drain all the water. Keep aside for 30 to 45 minutes
2) Heat 2 tbsp ghee into a deep pan. Add cloves, saute for few seconds. Add washed rice, and saute for couple of minutes over medium heat.
3) While sauteing rice, boil 1 and 1/2 cup water on another stove-top.
4) Add hot water to the rice. Cover and cook the rice. Once rice is cooked nicely, put it into a big plate and spread evenly to cool down.
5) Gently, mix the coconut and grated jaggery in a bowl. Once rice becomes warm, add coconut-jaggery mixture to it.Fluff the rice with the fork and mix with coconut-jaggery mixture. Mix very gently. Otherwise, rice grains may get crushed and rice will become soggy.
6) Heat a deep heavy bottom pan. Add 1 tbsp ghee to it. Fry cashew nuts and raisins. Remove with a slotted spoon. Turn the heat to low. Now add rice-coconut-jaggery mixture. Also add cardamom powder. Cover with a tight lid. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Cook for atleast 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Once rice becomes dry, add fried cashew nuts and raisins. Add little ghee while serving.

Tips:
1) While cooking the jaggery-coconut-rice mixture, you will notice rice has become little watery. It's due to melted jaggery. However, as you steam for few more minutes, it will start thickening. Also, cook the rice uncovered during last few minutes.
2) If you don't want coconut rice too sweet, add 3/4 cup jaggery instead of 1 cup.
3) If you taste the rice immediately after jaggery is melted, it will taste very sweet. However, the sweetness will reduce after some time as the rice absorbs the melted jaggery.
4) Rice should be cooked 100 %. Under-cooked rice grains may become hard after coming into contact with jaggery. Over-cooked rice will become mushy and unappetising.
5) While cooking the rice, you may add few strings of saffron for flavor and color.