Coconut Rice

Finally here's the recipe for a dish that I really love. My grandma would make this and I would eat and over-eat every time I visited.  I just made this delicacy for lunch and figured I would share it with you. This gluten-free vegetarian dish is packed full of flavours and can pass off as a side dish, a main dish or  dessert. And if that's not enough it's super healthy and realllllly simple to whip up. 25 mins from start to finish. No cutting or chopping involved. Interested? Good! Let's get cooking :)

Ingredients 

1 glass aromatic rice. I used Sona Masuri. You could use Basmati or even Ambe Mohar. 

6-7 strands of saffron

2 tablespoons ghee (replace with unsalted butter if ghee is unavailable or coconut oil/almond butter if on vegan diet)

1/2 glass grated jaggery (replace with white or brown sugar if you don't have access to jaggery)

2 cloves

3 cardamon pods opened

Slivered almonds for decoration

Handful of raisins/sultanas

Handful of cashewnuts broken roughly

1/4 glass desiccated coconut

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder or a really tiny piece of cinnamon stick

Method

Wash the rice well and allow to soak for 15 minutes to 30 minutes. 

Drain the water and keep the rice aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add ghee. 

Keep the heat on low.

Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamon and saffron.

Stir-fry till you can smell the fragrance of the spices. Around 8 minutes is sufficient. 

Add the cashewnuts and raisins and stir fry for 4 minutes or so. 

Add the rice next and stir fry it in for 2 minutes. 

Add 1 glass & again 3/4 glass of water 

Cover and allow to simmer for about 8-10 minutes. 

Once the rice begins to cook, add the coconut and stir it in. 

Cover and allow to steam for 8 -10 minutes.

Open the lid and add the jaggery or sugar. 

Mix it in and then cover. Take off the heat after 8 minutes. 

Allow to rest for 10 minutes and then you can serve garnished with almond slivers or just as it is. 

Tastes good chilled or warm. Enjoy!