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Kavuni arisi
Black rice sweet
கவுனி அரிசி: Chettiar wedding sweet of black rice with sugar, coconut and ghee (plus overnight soaking)
Kavuni arisi is the deep purple-black sweet that every Chettiar wedding feast in Karaikudi begins with, a nod to the trading families' old links with Burma, where the black rice came from. The rice is soaked overnight, cooked until soft but still chewy, then mixed with sugar, plenty of fresh grated coconut and a spoon of ghee, so it is nutty, gently sweet and pleasantly sticky. It is eaten warm or at room temperature in small portions. The usual mistake is cooking black rice like white rice; it needs a long soak and a long cook, or the grains stay hard at the centre. Chef's tip: mash a quarter of the cooked rice lightly with the back of a spoon before adding sugar, which makes it hold together the way it does in Chettinad.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 7 oz black glutinous rice (kavuni arisi)soaked overnight
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 4 oz sugar
- 2 ⅞ oz fresh grated coconut
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 4 green cardamomseeds ground
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz black glutinous rice (kavuni arisi) and put it in a heavy pan or pressure cooker with 3 ¼ cups water.
2 minStep 2: Simmer covered on low heat for 40–45 minutes (or pressure cook for 6–7 whistles) until the grains are soft and burst but still slightly chewy, and the water is absorbed.
45 minStep 3: While hot, lightly mash a quarter of the rice with a spoon, then stir in 4 oz sugar until it melts into the rice.
2 minStep 4: Stir in 2 ⅞ oz fresh grated coconut, 2 tbsp ghee and 4 green cardamom and mix well. Serve warm in small bowls.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kavuni arisi take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of black glutinous rice (kavuni arisi)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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