AI-generated image
Kanika
Sweet ghee rice
କାନିକା: sweet ghee rice with cinnamon, bay leaf, cashews and raisins from the Puri temple kitchen
Kanika is one of the dishes of the Jagannath temple's mahaprasad in Puri, cooked in clay pots over wood fires and sold at the Ananda Bazaar to pilgrims, and Odia homes make it for Rath Yatra, when the deities ride their chariots through the town. It is a fragrant, glossy rice sweetened with sugar and perfumed with cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves in plenty of ghee, studded with fried cashews and raisins. It sits halfway between a pulao and a dessert and is eaten with dalma or a temple-style mahura. Common mistake: adding the sugar at the start, which hardens the grains; cook the rice almost through first, then add the sugar, and it is done when the syrup is absorbed and the ghee shines on the surface. Chef's tip: use a short-grain aromatic rice such as gobindobhog or the Odia arua rice for the true temple texture; basmati works but gives separate, longer grains.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice
- 7 oz gobindobhog or basmati ricewashed and soaked 15 minutes
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 2 in cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 4 green cardamom podslightly crushed
- 1 pinch ground turmeric
- 2 cups hot water
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 ½ oz sugar
To finish
- 20 cashews
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz gobindobhog or basmati rice well and spread on a cloth to dry for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: In the same ghee, fry 2 in cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves and 4 green cardamom pods for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the rice and 1 pinch ground turmeric and fry gently for 3 minutes until the grains turn opaque.
4 minStep 4: Pour in 2 cups hot water with ½ tsp salt, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on a low heat for 10–12 minutes until the rice is nearly done and most water absorbed.
12 minStep 5: Scatter in 3 ½ oz sugar, fold gently, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 6–8 minutes until the sugar melts, the syrup is absorbed and the grains look glossy.
7 minStep 6: Fold in the cashews, raisins and 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut, rest covered for 5 minutes and serve warm.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kanika take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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 gobindobhog or basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
