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Bowl of narali bhat or coconut sweet rice
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5 from 5 votes

Narali Bhat | Instant Pot Coconut Sweet Rice

Narali Bhat, or coconut sweet rice, is a lightly sweet, fragrant afternoon treat that can also serve as a mealtime dish. Impress your friends by making Narali Bhat for your next potluck. This is a celebration food for a reason! The sweet, fragrant rice is an easy Instant Pot dish that can also be made on the stove.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time16 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: narali bhat, Narali Poornima, sweet coconut rice
Servings: 6
Calories: 317kcal
Author: Puja

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup jaggery
  • 2 piece of cinnamon stick
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 3 cloves
  • Pinch of saffron
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ½ cup grated coconut
  • 10 cashews whole
  • 15 golden raisins split

Instructions

  • Rinse the basmati rice at least 3 times (much like when making plain basmati rice, but without the need to soak.
  • Set Instant Pot to saute mode (or saute on a stove). Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee.
  • Toast cashews and remove when the cashews become fragrant and begin to brown.
  • Toast raisins and remove before they start to burn.
  • Add rice. Toast about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Add jaggery, coconut, and pinch of saffron.
  • Cook under high pressure for 6 minutes.
  • Quick release, garnish with toasted cashews and raisins.

Video

Notes

  • To add more coconut flavor and moisture, stir in up to one cup of coconut milk to the prepared rice.
  • Add more or less jaggery depending on how sweet you like it
  • The cashews and raisins are optional. You can try substituting other nuts or dry fruits
  • Rice: basmati is my go-to Indian rice, but this dish can be made with any low-starch rice, such as jasmine rice, or the more traditional Ambemohar rice from Maharashtra (if you can find it)
  • What if you don’t have jaggery?
    • Pilloncillo, sold at Mexican markets is a great substitute for jaggery
    • Use regular table sugar 
    • Use coconut sugar

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg