Coconut Rice Pudding - Narkol dewa Gobindo Bhog Chaal er Payesh

Thursdays are the days I am home the entire day. Thursday are days spent experimenting in the kitchen while my 4 year old naps or is playing with his grandparents. I love the taste of  Narkol Naroo - all coconutty with a fragrant hint of green cardamom in it and thought of incorporating that taste in the 'Bangali Chaal er Payesh' (Rice Pudding). This recipe uses Gobindo Bhog rice which is an awesomely aromatic rice - a favorite in most Bengali households.

Ingredients:

• Gobindo Bhog Rice - 1/2 cup (washed and soaked for an hour)
• Coconut -  Grated - 1/2 cup
• Milk - 2 cups (Or 1 Cup Water and 1 Cup Milk)
• Ghee - 1tbs
• Cardamom -6
• Sugar  4 tbs (or more if you prefer it sweeter)
• Amulya milk powder - 3 tbs
• Raisins & Cashew for garnishing. If you want you can add it to the pudding as well.

Heat a pan, and add ghee to it. Temper with split pods of green cardamoms. Once fragrant, add the grated coconut. Fry till the coconut turns a warm brown. Keep aside. In a separate pan bring the milk to a boil. Reduce  heat and add the rice to it and cook, stirring often till the rice is almost done. Now add the milk powder and toasted coconut.  When the milk has almost evaporated (just enough is left so that the sugar dissolves), add the sugar. My Chhotaini (aunt-in-law and a fantastic cook) gave me this valuable tip - add the sugar at the end otherwise the rice will not cook properly.

Serve warm as a dessert. You can pair it with warm rosogolla or gulab jamun.