Kiru Boakibaa

View this Recipe in Dhivehi

These days, almost all of the kiru boakibaa that we get seem to be made with corn flour. We decided to go on the more traditional route and used ground rice instead. However, our version still might be a bit different from the really traditional kiru boakibaa; we used packaged coconut milk instead of getting the real thing from real coconuts, and because we couldn’t find jasmine water, we used raanbaa, cardamom, cinnamon and rosewater to flavor our boakibaa. When you are making this recipe do add in more sugar if you want it sweeter, and also feel free to add in some more rosewater if you want to. Also, we didn’t grind the rice ourselves, we just got it from a store, and yes that made things a whole lot easier.

Below, we've tried to break down the steps to make everything as clear as possible. This boakibaa is actually an easy one; you just have to remember to stir well during the cooking process and let the boakibaa cook gently.

Preheating the oven and preparing the tray

1. Preheat your oven at around 190 degrees Celsius.
2. Coat the tray you are going to use for baking with some oil (we used a 9 inch round one).

Preparing the rice

Ingredients:

• ½ cup ground rice
• ½ cup water for soaking and 3 tbsp. water to use when grinding

Instructions:

1. In a bowl mix together the rice with the ½ cup of water and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Pour the mixture into your grinder and grind it until it forms a smooth paste. We had to add in 3 tbsp. of water to make it smooth.

Preparing the raanbaa & spice water

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 4 raanbaa pieces (6 inches each)
• 1 cinnamon stick (6 inch)
• 5 cardamom pods (ends snipped off)
• 1 tsp. rose water (you can use more)

Instructions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large pot except for the rose water.
2. Put the lid on and gently simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. When you are about to switch off the stove, add in the rose water and stir well.

Putting it all together:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour

Instructions:

1. Combine the coconut milk, flour and 2 cups of the raanbaa & spice water that you prepared.
2. Stir well and strain the mixture into a large pot.
3. Place the pot on the stove; keep the heat on medium and stir in the sugar. Then add in the ground rice.
4. While the mixture cooks, you’ll have to keep stirring it continuously until the mixture really thickens. It’s going to take a while and the aim is to get it so thick that you’ll feel some resistance when stirring.

Baking the boakibaa

Instructions:

1. Pour the mixture into the tray that you prepared.
2. Smoothen it with a spatula. It’s going to take a little bit of work, as the mixture would be a little bit sticky.
3. Place the tray on the middle rack and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the boakibaa comes out clean. It should be done in around 20 minutes, but then again different oven brands bake differently. So keep an eye on it and just remember that the idea is to bake the boakibaa a bit gently and slowly.