Kashikeyo Baipen (Screwpine fruit Porridge)

I know I posted this a long time ago but I took some of my old posts out due to some comments I got but then again , I realized  different people make their recipes differently, so why bother what people say. Anyway, the first time I heard of this recipe was from my husband. We had just been married and living in Kulhudhufushi as my husband was working there for 6 months.  I love screwpine fruit and its heady perfume.
So there I was making, or rather trying to make, kashikeyo kandhi and hubby kept hovering around, going that's not how my mum used to make. Yes I know ladies,  there are lots of new weds, who read this who have heard this line LOL??. Anyway , a few years later,  I finally tasted the  dish , which by the way was a totally different  dish altogether, so my hubby was right???? .   My mum in law  showed me how to make  it and I love making this, especially during Ramadhan, as its not just a desert dish , it can even be eating as a light sweet snack.

Screwpine fruit and sliced screw pine

If you have never seen a screw pine fruit, well its this fruit thats grown in a type of pandanus plant that grows in the islands. In the old days the fruit came in pink variety, although now a days a yellow variety has  been cultivated. I don't really like the yellow kind, doesn't have  the heady perfume as the pink one although I do enjoy the juice made from both varieties. Locally they are known as Kashikeyo and found in  a huge bunch and sold as  separate kernels. It takes a certain skill to thinly slice the screw pine as you have to slice in a certain way. I still haven't figured it out so I always end up getting someone else to do it for me.  I remember when I was growing up after kernels are  used the remaining half is left to dry a bit and then bashed around to open it to remove this  nuts found inside.  I am sorry I don't have any picture to show you of it.

Recipe : Foni Baipen
Serves 4-6 

1 1/4 cups  basmathi rice
3 Kashikeyo  ( screwpine fruit)
3-4 cardamon pods, ends snipped off
1 stick cinnamon
1 (3") pandan leaf
6-7 cups water
1 cup coconut milk
2 - 2 1/2 cups sugar ( depends on how sweet you like)

First was your rice and leave to soak in water for about  20- 30 minutes . Using your fingers lightly crush the rice grains a bit, just to break up up a little.

Thinly slice the kashikeyyo.

Heat up 6 cups of water to along with the cinnamon, cardamon and pandan leaf, once it start to show bubbles, reduce heat a little and add the rice, stir and let it simmer.

Skim  any froth on the top. Add 2 cups sugar along with the kashikeyo, stir to dissolve the sugar.

 Cook for about 10 minutes. Taste, add any extra sugar for you liking.

 Finally stir in the coconut milk. If it looks too thick add a little extra water. Should have a rice porridge like consistency, not too thick and not thin either.