Thengai sadam is a very easy rice variety prepared with fresh grated coconut, tempered with chillie and dal(s). Addition of cashews and ghee, lends a nice flavor and taste to this coconut rice recipe. This rice is less spicy compared to other rice varieties. It is also offered as prasadam in temples. Last week, when I visited my parents home in Trichy for Diwali, my mom gave nearly 15 coconuts plucked from the coconut trees grown in our backyard. I distrubuted most of the coconuts to my friends and neighbours and reserved only 2. So thought of making use of it and hence prepared this South Indian style coconut rice.
Checkout my Thengaipaal Sadam Recipe also.
Coconut Rice Recipe
Coconut Rice Recipe | Thengai Sadam
Preparation + Cook Time: 40 minutes | Serves: 2 to 3
- Basmati rice – 1 cup
- Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
- Ghee – 2 tsp
- Salt – As needed
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Urad Dal – 1 tsp
- Channa dal – 3/4 tblsp
- Cashews – 10
- Red chillie – 2
- Green chillie – 1
- Hing – 1 generous pinch
- Curry Leaves – Few
- Oil – 2 tsp
1. Rinse and soak rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and pressure cook the rice for 2 whistles with water ratio of 1:1.5. After the pressure subsides by itself, spread the rice in a plate and cool down. Fluff it up with a fork to break the lumps. Grate coconut, chop green chillie and break cashews. Heat ghee in a kadai, add cashews and fry till golden brown.
2. Keep the cashews by side. In the same kadai, throw mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add urad dal, channa dal, red chillie, green chillie, curry leaves and saute for a while.
3. Now add hing and grated coconut. Stir for a minute, until nice aroma arises from the coconut. Add salt and mix well. Switch off flame.
4. Add the cooked rice and mix carefully without breaking the rice grains. Finally add cashews, check for salt and if preferred, add little ghee.
Delicious coconut rice is ready.
Thengai Sadam
1. I used basmati rice. Normal rice can also be used.
2. Always use fresh coconut, which gives good taste to this thengai sadam.
3. Frozen grated coconut can be thawed and used.
4. Dessicated coconut will not work out for this coconut rice recipe.
5. Adjust chillie as per your spice level. Red chillies alone can also be used.
6. Channa dal, urad dal can be soaked for 15 minutes and used. This method gives a different taste to the rice.
7. For variation, peanuts can also be added, which gives a nutty flavor.
8. Don’t skip adding cashews, which add rich taste.
9. For more aroma, 1 tsp of jeera can be used while tempering.
10. Coconut oil can be used for tempering, which adds great flavor.
11. For nice white color rice, scrap only the white portion and discard the brown part of the coconut.
Coconut Rice Recipe
