Coconut rice - Thengai Sadham

Coconut rice - Thengai Sadham
Coconut rice - this is one of my favourite lunch box dish. My mom frequently prepares this delicious coconut rice for our lunch box. This rice can be easily prepared within 15 minutes without any grinding and chopping work. For this rice you can use any rice of your choice. I prefer ponni raw rice or basmati rice, which gives you the perfect texture. My mom adds finely chopped gingers, finely chopped green chillies and little black pepper powder for this rice. You have to add all the flavours in a minimal level. Then one more thing I want to say is try to use fresh grated coconuts for the natural sweetness in the rice. Please avoid refrigerated coconuts or coconut powder. The addition of cashew nuts and peanuts is optional. The perfect side dish for coconut rice are plantain fry, potato fry and chips.

Here is a short video for Coconut Rice

Coconut rice - An easy lunch box dish which can be prepared within 15 minutes. 

Prep time : 10 minutes

Cook time : 5 minutes

Serves : 2

Category : lunch

Author : Muthulakshmi Madhavakrishnan

Ingredients

• 1 cup ponni raw rice or basmati rice
• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconuts
• 1 green chilly, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
• 6 cashew nuts
• few fresh curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp chana dal
• 1/4 tsp mustard
• 1/4 tsp urid dal
• 1 tbsp ghee
• salt to taste

Cooking Directions 

• Measure and take the rice in a bowl and  wash the rice 2 to 3 times in water. Add them to the pressure cooker and add 2.5 cups of water. Keep on low flame and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Allow the pressure to settled down. Open the cooker and transfer the rice to a plate. Add little ghee over the rice and allow them to cool down.
• Heat ghee in a kadai and add the mustard and urid dal. Allow them to crackle and add the chana dal, green chilly, ginger and broken cashew nuts.
• Next, add the grated coconuts, curry leaves, asafoetida powder and black pepper powder. Stir it for a second and add the cooked rice. Add the required salt and switch off the flame. Now mix them evenly with the coconuts and transfer them to serving dish.

Coconut rice with step by step photos

Measure and take the rice in a bowl and  wash the rice 2 to 3 times in water. Add them to the pressure cooker and add 2.5 cups of water. Keep on low flame and pressure cook for 2 whistles.(For any rice varieties i usually add the rice directly in the cooker, if you are cooking with a vessel inside the cooker then add water according to your ratio). Allow the pressure to settled down. Open the cooker and transfer the rice to a plate. Add little ghee over the rice and allow them to cool down.

Heat ghee in a kadai and add the mustard and urid dal. Allow them to crackle and add the chana dal, green chilly, ginger and broken cashew nuts. (Do not brown any of the ingredients, then it will spoil the entire taste of the dish).

Next, add the grated coconuts, curry leaves, asafoetida powder and black pepper powder. Stir it for a second and add the cooked rice. Add the required salt and switch off the flame.

Now mix them evenly with the coconuts and transfer them to serving dish. You can add few fresh coconuts. 

Serve it hot with any vegetable side dishes and any chips, vathal or appalam. If you are packing this for lunch box allow them to cool completely and then pack it in your lunch box.