
Narali Bhaat
Maharashtrian sweet coconut rice for Narali Purnima. The centrepiece format: spiced rice that needs nothing else on the table. A bowl of plain yogurt and pickled onions is all it wants.
Ingredients
- Ginger Garlic Paste1 tbsp
- Saltto taste
- Onion1, thinly sliced
- Green Chili2, slit
- Ghee2 tbsp
- Turmeric Powder1/2 tsp
- Basmati Rice2 cups, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
- Whole Garam Masala Spices2 tsp
- Grated Coconut1 cup
- Jaggery3/4 cup, grated
- Green Cardamom1 tsp
Optional extras
- Fresh Cilantro2 tbsp, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the basmati rice in three changes of water and soak 20 minutes; drain well so the grains fry, not steam.
- 2
Heat ghee in a wide, heavy pot; fry the whole spices — bay, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves — till they swell and smell like a spice box.
- 3
Fry the onions till deep gold, add ginger garlic paste and green chili, then the ground spices; splash water to keep them from catching.
- 4
Tumble in the grated coconut, let it soften in the masala, then add the rice and toast it for two minutes, stirring.
- 5
Pour in hot water (1:1.5 for biryani-style, a little less for pulao), add salt, bring to a boil and cook covered on the lowest flame till the water is gone; rest 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Chef's tip
Resting the finished dish for five minutes off the heat lets the spices settle and deepen.
/dish/30271Watch how it's made
Video: मऊ मऊ नारळी भात | Narali Bhat | Authentic Narali Bhat | नारियल भात | MadhurasRecipe · on YouTube