ROVANI
Honey and rice slice
loakim ‘James’ Megalogenis

1/2 kilo short grain rice
1/2 kilo sugar
1/2 kilo honey
8 glasses of water
1 cup oil
Whole blanched
almonds or cloves

Syrup
1 cup water
1 dessertspoon honey
1 cup sugar
2-3 cloves
1 —2 cinnamon sticks

Grind rice in a food processor
Combine water, oil, sugar and honey and bring to the boil.
Gradually add rice.
Stir continuously.
Continue to stir for approximately one hour until rice is cooked.
Pour mixture into a greased baking dish and allow to cool.
When cool, cut into diamond shapes for serving.
Place half an almond or a clove in the centre of each diamond.
Bake in a slow to moderate oven for approximately 21/2 hours. When rovani is removed from the oven, pour cooled syrup over hot rovani.

Syrup
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
Bring to boil and simmer until slightly thickened.
Allow to cool before pouring onto the hot rovani.

To cut diamond shapes, make parallel cuts 5cm/2in apart and cross cut diagonally at 5cm/2in apart.