Coconut rice
Thengai sadam: rice tossed with freshly grated coconut and a coconut-oil tadka of mustard seeds, urad and chana dal, cashews, curry leaves and chillies. A Tamil and Karnataka lunchbox favourite, also made for festivals like Aadi Perukku and quick with leftover rice; served here with papad. A Jain home leaves out the ginger.
- 40 minTime
- 20 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 12 gprotein per portion
- 610kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 300 gRice, sona masoori or ponni
- ≈ 700 mlWater
- 3 tbspCoconut oil
- 1 tspMustard seeds
- 1 tspUrad dal
- 1 tbspChana dal
- 2 tbspCashew nuts
- 2Dried red chillies, broken in half
- 2Green chillies, slit
- 1 tspGinger, finely chopped
- 2 sprigsCurry leaves
- 1 mlHing (asafoetida)
- 150 gGrated coconut, fresh or frozen
- to tasteSalt
On the side
- 4Papads
Method
- Rinse the rice 2–3 times and put it in the pressure cooker with the water. Close the lid.
- Pressure-cook on medium for 3 whistles, about 12 minutes, and let the pressure drop by itself.
- Meanwhile, slit the green chillies and chop the ginger finely.
- Spread the hot rice out on a large plate so the grains stay separate.
- Leave the rice to cool for about 10 minutes, until just warm.
- Heat the coconut oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the urad dal, chana dal, cashews and dried red chillies and fry until the dals and cashews turn golden. Add the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and hing and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
- Add the coconut and salt and sauté on a low flame for 2–3 minutes, until the coconut is warm and fragrant but still white.
- Roast the papads one at a time over the gas flame with tongs, turning, until blistered all over.
- Add the rice to the kadai and mix gently until every grain is coated with coconut. Serve with the papads.
