As part of my discovery of South Indian food, I have loved discovering many more ways in which rice can be used. It is primarily used to make flour for snacks, dosas, idlis, and of course as rice itself. There are so many ways to amp up basic rice! Of the rice variations, lemon rice has been the one I always knew (and still love the most) while coconut rice is a recent favourite.
It’s amazing how easy this is to make and how flavourful it is. It doesn’t look like much, but it delivers. And how!
It uses the usual spices, along with coconut and some cashews for crunch and flavour. It’s a great way to use up left over rice or also just to jazz up fresh rice.
The spices are cooked till you can smell the aromas wafting through the kitchen. The golden cashews are perfect with the mild spices and soft rice. The coconut is not toasted too much, just till lightly fragrant so that the final dish still retains its clean colours. Simplicity at its best!
I made this a few months ago, when my friend R was living with me. We had a fair bit of rice left over from the previous day and didn’t feel like cooking anything time consuming for lunch (middle of the work day and all that). So I decided to use all the rice and make this. Turned out to be so yum that we each ate to massive helpings and then just wanted to lie down and snooze. Alas, we had to get back to work but at least our tummies and souls were happy š
Ever since then, this is one thing I know I can always count on to lift my spirits, fill my tummy and cause zero stress š
You have to try this! It’s a lovely, delightful meal in itself š If you want, you can pair it with curd or pickle or papad. Personally, I love it just as it is.
Coconut Rice
Ingredients
3 cups cooked rice – room temperature
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp split urad dal
1 tbsp Channa dal
15 cashews – chopped
3 green chillies – chopped
15-18 curry leaves
3 dried red chillies
Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
2 cups grated coconut
2 tbsp coconut oil
Salt to taste
Directions
- In a large pan, heat oil and then add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the urad and Channa dal and cook on medium heat for a minute
- Add the chopped cashews and saute till golden brown. Even the dals will turn golden by this time
- Mix in the curry leaves, red chillies and green chillies along with the asafoetida (hing). Let them cook for a couple of minutes
- Add the coconut and mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes till a nice aroma comes through and the coconut turns slightly cream-ish in colour. You don’t need to brown the coconut
- Add the cooked rice and mix well. Add salt to taste. Cover the pan and leave it for 5-7 minutes. Serve hot as is or with curd/pickle/papad
My Tuck Box 
Every recipe is super.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much š
LikeLike