Handoo Bondibaiy ( Rice pudding)

Eid ul Adha is here!!. This festival that comes the day after  Hajj.  For this year's Eid, I have one of my favorite local desserts, Handoo bondibaiy. Handoo bondibaiy is a rice pudding. It is usually made for special occasions like Eid, distributed alongside the goat curry that is slaughtered during the baby's naming ceremony and also on Eid day. Sometimes in my home, I love a warm bowl of handoo bondibaiy on a cold rainy day.

The problem with handoo bondibaiy is that its a little tricky when it comes to cooking the rice to the right texture. Cook for too long you get mushy rice, too quickly you get a slightly raw bite to it which is not very pleasant.

According to local cookbook author, Zareena, in her cookbook, she mentions that when you first cook the rice, you have to cook it till it's almost done with a slight bite.  So when done that way, by the time after adding sugar and coconut milk and letting it be cooked through, the rice is perfectly cooked.

This recipe serves 4- 6 servings, you can double this to make larger quantities and also reduce or add more sugar but keep in mind bondibaiy or these local puddings are quite sweet. Traditionally instead of using regular water to prepare this dessert, jasmine-infused water is prepared.  You can check here how it is prepared.

Yield: 4-6

Author: Nammi

Handhoo Bondibaiy ( Rice pudding)

ingredients:

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water (or jasmine-infused water)
• 1/4 cup packet or canned coconut milk (to make thin coconut milk)
• 1/2 tsp  ground cinnamon cardamon mix
• extra 1/2 cup packed or canned coconut milk ( thick coconut milk)
• 1-2 tbsp rose water
• 12-inch pandan leaf, stripped and tied to a knot. 

instructions:

How to cook Handhoo Bondibai ( Rice pudding)

1. Wash the rice well in running water until the water is clear. Drain and set aside.
2. Place the rice in a suitable saucepan, and fill it with water or jasmine-infused water along with 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Mix well and add the knotted pandan leaf.
3. Check the liquid level. The water level should come about 1 inch above the rice level. 
4. Place on the stovetop and cook over medium heat. 
5. Once the rice has absorbed the water on top,  lower the heat and add the sugar.
6. Stir to mix the sugar and ground cinnamon and cardamon mix and dissolve it.  Let it cook on low heat, stirring occasionally. 
7. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, then stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Stir it in carefully. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
8. Then  Finally stir in rose water. Stir it in carefully and then switch off. 
9. Let the bondibaiy cool slightly and serve warm or chill in the fridge. 

Created using The Recipes Generator