87) KHEERI

KHEERI

FRAGRANT RICE & COCONUT MILK PORRIDGE

Ingredients:

1)    Fine raw rice – 200 gm.

2)    Fresh big coconuts – 1½

3)    Turmeric leaf – 1

To Cook:

Grate the coconut and extract the first (thick), the second (medium thick), and the third (thin) coconut milk as described in my valval recipe. As a second choice, you can use canned thick coconut milk, diluting it appropriately.

Set a thick porridge pot on the stove. Pour in the second and third coconut milk together with a couple of glasses of water. When it starts to boil, wash and drain the rice and tip it in. as soon as it starts to boil again, cover with a lid and switch off the heat. Leave it for half an hour.

Now open the lid. You will see that the rice is cooked and that the porridge has become fairly thick. Turn on the heat. Stir and mash lightly with a ladle. Add a little water if it is too thick. If it starts to boil, lower the heat to minimum.

Tear up the turmeric leaf to 2 or 3 pieces and chuck it in (the leaf is used only for its wonderful aroma and flavor. It is not to be eaten). Stir for 2 minutes and pour in the thick coconut milk. As soon as it starts to boil, stir well and switch off the heat. Cover at once with a lid and let rest for 30 minutes. Your fragrant delicious kheeri is ready to serve.

You can enjoy it as it is or you can add sugar or salt to suit your taste. Our family prefers to take kheeri with sugar.

Note:

Kheeri is traditionally prepared on special days such as ‘Naagar panchami’ or ‘Gowri pooja’ or for the ‘Brahmopadesham’ of Konkani Brahmin adolescent boys. The mother seats her boy on her lap and lovingly feeds him kheeri from a coconut leaf with her hands.