This Indian Coconut Rice is a simple One Pot Meal that is very popular in South India. It is very easy to make and it tastes best with leftover rice.
Coconut Rice is a very popular meal down South of India. It is prepared and served as a religious offering and also on any joyous, festive occasion. It is one of the easiest meals you can make for lunch or dinner. It’s flavorful and has a nutty taste to it. This seasoned rice can keep you full for a couple of hours. My mom would prepare this for dinner nearly every Friday. She would visit the temple and on the way back shop for groceries. In order to save time and serve a quick dinner, she would make this Indian Coconut Rice for all of us which we would enjoy to the fullest. It was also my dad’s favorite rice dish. Every time my mom would ask him what to prepare for dinner, he would ask for this rice! The simplicity of this dish, and the fact that it’s a one pot meal, makes it a preferred option when pressed for time.
Vegetarian One Pot Meal: Indian Coconut Rice
There are just a few basic steps and ingredients that one needs to make it. Heat oil in a pan, temper mustard seeds. Add urad dal and chana dal and fry until they turn light golden. Next add minced green chillies, curry leaves, and chopped cashews. Sauté for another two minutes. Now add grated coconut, salt, and asafoetida. Mix and sauté for another two to three minutes or until the coconut is lightly roasted. Lastly, add rice and chopped cilantro. Give it all a good mix and take the pan off the flame.
Indian Coconut Rice is now ready to be served. You can serve it along with some green chutney or enjoy it as is. You may also add some grated carrot and fried peanuts as garnish to enhance the flavors.
This flavored rice is mildly spiced and the lentils give it the required crunch. An easy and quick one pot meal recipe for all you readers out there!
Coconut Rice is a very popular South Indian dish which is very easy to make and it tastes best with leftover rice.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 3-4 green chillies
- 6-7 curry leaves
- 5-6 cashews
- 1 cup grated coconut
- 1 cup cooked basmati rice
- Pinch of asafoetida
- Salt, to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan, temper mustard seeds.
- Add urad dal and chana dal and fry until they turn light golden.
- Add minced green chillies, curry leaves, and chopped cashews.
- Sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add grated coconut, salt, and asafoetida. Mix and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the coconut is lightly roasted.
- Add rice and chopped cilantro. Give it all a good mix and take the pan off the flame.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: This recipe tastes best when using leftover rice and fresh shredded coconut. However, frozen shredded coconut and fresh rice can also be used. To make this recipe gluten free, skip the asafoetida.
Try this coconut-flavored Indian rice dish which is vegetarian, delicious, and crunchy to the taste. You can also pack this in lunch boxes and be assured that your kids will finish it all up. The roasted coconut, fried cashews, and curry leaves bring in a certain aroma to the dish, making it appetizing to everyone.
We hope you love this recipe for Indian Coconut Rice from SoFabFood Contributor, Priya from Cookilicious, as much as we do. If you love this recipe, be sure to check out our other Vegetarian Recipes so that you’re always ready for busy weeknights. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, and stop by our Google+ Community to see all of the amazing recipes our community members are sharing. Enjoy!
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