Sweet Coconut Rice – Narali Bhaat
Sweetened Coconut Rice made with ghee, some whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, saffron and ofcourse fresh coconut.
What is Narayali Bhaat or Narali Bhaat?
Narayal or Naral means Coconut, and Bhaat means cooked rice. You can guess these two main ingredients in this recipe. This dish originates from Maharashtrian households. I grew up in a city that was ruled by Marathi family and therefore I grew up eating these dishes very commonly at home.
This rice dish is mostly prepared during auspicious occasions. Coconuts are auspicious food in Indian community, and we often use them in prayers or rituals.
My mom loves this dish, so I had to make some for her while she is visiting me.
Ingredients used in this recipe
Basmati rice, freshly grated coconut (the one we get already shredded in the frozen section), some whole spices like cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and it has some nuts, raisins, saffron perfumes this dish with its fragrance. It is cooked in ghee and sweetened by sugar.
This is rice dish can be served as a sweet or side dish.
Other sweets or desserts if you are interested in making for the upcoming festival – click here and here.
Sweet Coconut Rice – Narali Bhaat
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ¼ tsp saffron
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 each Cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, cardamom
- Nuts -Almonds, pistachios, raisins, cashews
- ¼ cup fresh shredded coconut
- 2-3 tbsp almond powder
- silver vark, rose petals
Instructions
- Rinse rice and let it sit in water for 10 minutes.
- Bloom saffron in warm milk. Leave it aside.
- Roast dry nuts in warm ghee on medium flame. Reserve some roasted nuts aside for garnish. Add dry spices like cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves. Let it roast.
- Add drained rice and toast the rice as well. Stir in sugar and add water, saffron milk, coconut . Cover the rice and cook for 10-15 minutes or until rice is fully cooked and water has evaporated.
- Once the rice is cooked, let it sit covered for few minutes before fluffing it up.
- Garnish it with nuts and rose petals, may e some extra coconut.
