Narali Bhaat / Coconut Rice for Narali Pornima

Narali purnima or the full moon during the month of Shraavan. The day when coastal Maharashtra breaks a coconut at the beach to pray for a good post monsoon fishing season. The menu for the day includes the dessert Narali bhaat or coconut rice. Fresh coconut is combined with the local staple - rice, to make this delicious dish.


The menu includes, from the top clockwise, a bowl of tomato dal, potato bhaji, bharli wangi, poli, cucumber koshimbir and in the center narali bhaat.

The recipes for tomato dal and cucumber koshimbir will be updated in the next week.

For narali bhaat you will need
1 cup brown rice
1 cup shredded fresh or frozen coconut
1 scant cup jaggery or sugar
1 clove
1 tbsp. ghee or clarified butter

For garnish
1 tbsp. ghee
a few each of cashews, almonds sliver, raisins etc.
1 pod cardamom

Thaw the coconut if using frozen. Grate the jaggery. Soak the rice for half an hour. Drain and rinse.

Melt ghee in a pan and add the clove. When fragrant in about 1-2 minutes, add the rice with 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook. When the rice is almost cooked, about 20-35 minutes, add the coconut and jaggery. Mix carefully without breaking the rice grain. Let it cook another 5 minutes. During this time the jaggery will melt and coat the rice as it thickens.

Shell the cardamom and pound the seeds to a powder. Heat ghee in a separate pan and roast the cashews, almond slivers and raisins.

When the rice is done turn off heat. Sprinkle the cardamom and garnish ingredients.


Enjoy!

This is my entry for week 32 of the 2014 52 week challenge for the theme favorites.

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