Naraleebhaat (Sweet coconut rice) –

Ingredients –

 Rice – 2 bowls

(As far as possible use ‘Ambemohor’ rice)

Water – 4 bowls

Jaggery – 3 bowls

Cloves – 3-4

Green cardamom – 5-6 peeled and powdered

Ghee/clarified butter – 4 tb-spoon

Freshly grated coconut – 2 bowls

Procedure –

1. Wash the rice and keep aside for ½ an hour.

2. Heat 2 tb-spoon ghee in a thick bottom or non-stick pan.

3. Boil water in another pan.

4. Add cloves, let them splutter. Then add washed rice and sauté for a minute.

5. Add boiled water and cook the rice.

6. After the rice is done, transfer the rice from pan to the plate and let the rice cool down completely.

7.  Mix jaggery and coconut in a bowl.

7. Heat 1 Tb-spoon of ghee in a pan and add cooked rice and jaggery-coconut mixture to it. Mix well and cover the pan with lid. Let the rice cook on a medium flame for 10 minutes. Keep checking in between bottom of the pan.

8. Add green cardamom powder and 1 tb-spoon of ghee. Mix well.

9. Serve warm along with ghee on the top.

Note :

1. Generally in Maharashtra, this authentic recipe is cooked on ‘Narali Pournima’ festival.

2. If you want sweeter taste add ½ bowl of sugar after the rice is completely done but

still heat is on. Mix well and turn off the heat.