South Indian Thengai Sadam | How to make Coconut Rice (lunch box recipe)

My weekday lunch would be pretty simple and healthy. Especially when I'm packing for lunch box , both my Hus and kid has many restrictions, so I always prefer to make variety rice with poriyal and curd rice with pickle.

Coconut Rice is one of the basic rice dish that is prepared often at my home. Those who love the fragrance and taste of coconut would definitely enjoy it. Its really very simple to make even who doesn't know cooking, provided they cook rice.
The generous use of coconut in typical south Indian cooking is enormous. It adds excellent flavor to the various dish. Both fresh / dried coconut is used to prepare sweet, curry, chutney. Some of the Indian foods are considered to be tasteless without coconut.

South Indian Thengai Sadam | How to make Coconut Rice

Preparation & Cooking Time :30 minutes

Yield :serves 4

Ingredients:

Raw Rice / Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Fresh Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Green Chilli - 2,slit
Dried Red Chilli -2 ,break and de-seed
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Channa Dal - 1tbsp
Split Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Cashewnuts - 2 tbsp
Coconut Oil - 1.5 tbsp
Asefoetida/ hing , a pinch
Salt to taste

Method:

1.Wash and cook the rice, as such the rice should be separate and grainy. Spread the cooked rice in a wide tray. Season salt and few drops of oil. Allow it to cool.

2.Heat oil in a pan, season mustard, once it splutters add cumin, cashewnuts, channa dal, urad dal allow it to turn golden. Add green chilli , red chilli, asefoetida and curry leaves. Fry for 3-5 minutes. Add the grated coconut and saute well. Fry for 3-4 minutes over low flame. Turn off flame.

3.Add the seasoning to the cooked rice and mix well with needed salt.

4.Serve the rice with spicy curry of your choice or with pickle and pappadam.

Note:

Always use freshly grated coconut for the rice. And moreover try to consume the rice 6-8 hours otherwise coconut has a tendency to spoil very fast.
Roasted peanuts can be added, if you wish to get crunchy taste of it.
Cool the rice before preparing any rice recipe, especially variety rice. Adding few drops of oil keeps the rice seperate and grainy also suitable to make variety rice.
Remember unlike other variety rice coconut rice requires very less salt.