Kashikeyo Baipen

Baipen is called to a rice gruel cooked with tiny discernible rice grains. This can be cooked as a dessert or as a savory gruel. In all sweet baipen all other ingredients other than screw pine which I have mentioned in the ingredient list are used. Savory baipen is cooked using some spices, breadfruit, crushed dried tuna, rice etc.

My family is from capital Male'  we have our own home located in Henveyru and since a baby I have been living here and haven't seen a single Screw pine tree ever in this island, but of course Screw pines are always available at the local Market which is expensive to buy for business purposes so my mum brings Screw pines from some of the near by islands. She makes screw pine cakes for orders that’s why she keeps good stock in her freezer.

To keep screw pine for 4 to 5 months my mum slices screw pines and grind it than put it in an airtight container and freeze it, this does not bring any difference to the taste of screw pines. 

Ingredients:

3 liter water

2 big sticks of cinnamon

16 cardamom pods

1 big pandan leaf cut in to 2 inch pieces

1 cup basmati rice (washed)

3 cups (sliced or grind) pressed screw pines

3 cups thick coconut milk

3 cups sugar

11/4 cups Jasmine water (Jasmine flower infused water)

Method:

1-      Put first four ingredients in a pan and cook until fragrant.

2-      Add rice, cook until rice gets mushy.

3-      Add sugar and screw pine, cook until all sugar is dissolved

4-      Add coconut milk & Jasmine flower infused water stir and serve hot or cold …. Enjoy! 

    Note: For this recipe Instead of fresh coconut milk canned or packet 100% coconut milk can be used this will not bring any difference to the taste but not the powdered coconut milk. If Jasmine water is not available rose water will be fine, don't put it as much I have mentioned for Jasmine water, may be 1/3rd cup will bring the taste just taste and adjust to your taste buds. This is a huge pot my cooked for all of us around 10 servings can be taken from this amount.