Coconut Rice

This is an aromatic and flavourful coconut rice dish very popular in south indian cuisine. Though making this is a cinch, yet the underlying key to its great taste and flavour lies in following all the steps carefully and precisely and using fresh ingredients.
I prefer adding grated coconut as garnish to the rice in the end instead of adding it to the tempering which makes it kind of heavy. It is usually served with spicy dishes, pickles and chutneys as it tones down the heat from the spices with its soothing flavours.

Ingredients: 
2 cups long grain white rice
1/2 of 400ml can of coconut milk (Aroy D or A taste of Thai)
6 unsalted raw cashew nuts
2 tsp unsalted peanuts
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp white urad dal lentil
a few curry leaves
2 green chillies
2 dried red chillies
1 tbs cilantro chopped
1/8th cup cooking oil
2 tbs freshly grated coconut
    

Instructions:
1. Wash the white rice till the water runs clear and soak it for 1/2 an hour or till the rice becomes opaque.
2. Meanwhile boil at least 4 litres of water in a large pot, add 1 – 2 tbs sea salt and cook the soaked rice in it till al dente. The rice should be still a bit gritty inside when you are draining it. Set aside to cool.
3. Heat oil in a sauce pan and when it is just hot crackle the mustard seeds and immediately add the dried red chillies and urad dal lentils. As they get discoloured add the peanuts, followed by the cashews, then quickly throw in the curry leaves and whole slit green chillies. The cashews and the urad dal lentils get browned fast all the steps have to be followed in order and quickly.
4. Quickly pour 1/2 the can of coconut milk (shake it well before opening it) into the saucepan. Add 1 tsp salt and let it cook on simmer for 3 – 4 minutes. Sprinkle a little water from the sides if too thick.
5. Pour this coconut milk solution into the rice and fluff it with a wooden fork and leave aside for some time for the coconut milk and the flavours to get absorbed in the rice.
6. As a finishing touch, garnish the rice with freshly grated coconut and chopped cilantro. The coconut rice is ready to serve and enjoy. It is so flavourful and delicious.

Notes: 
1.Use any long grain white rice or basmati rice which is not sticky. It has to be cooked al dente so the grains are separate and are not mushy.
2. It is important to use good quality coconut milk which does not have any preservatives. So I prefer using brands like “A Taste of Thai” and “Aroy D”.
3. The nuts and curry leaves infuse flavour into the rice, so using fresh curry leaves makes the rice aromatic and appealing to the taste buds.
4. Do not burn the mustard seeds, lentils, nuts or red chillies while tempering. So do not let the oil be fuming hot but just hot enough for the mustard seeds to crackle. By following all the steps carefully you could achieve good results.

5. You could also use 100% pure coconut oil or ghee for tempering.

Recipe

Coconut Rice

Author: Fouzia Husainy

This is an aromatic and flavourful coconut rice dish very popular in south indian cuisine. Though making this is a cinch, yet the underlying key to its great taste and flavour lies in following all the steps carefully and precisely and using fresh ingredients.

Course Main Course, Quick and Easy

Cuisine Glutenfree, Indian, south indian, Vegan

Ingredients

  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1/2 of 400ml can of coconut milk(Aroy D or A taste of Thai)
• 6 unsalted raw cashew nuts
• 2 tsp unsalted peanuts
• 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp white urad dal lentil
• a few curry leaves
• 2 green chillies
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 tbs cilantro chopped
• 1/8 cup cooking oil
• 2 tbs freshly grated coconut

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Instructions

 

• Wash the white rice till the water runs clear and soak it for 1/2 an hour or till the rice becomes opaque.
• Meanwhile boil at least 4 litres of water in a large pot, add 1 - 2 tbs sea salt and cook the soaked rice in it till al dente. The rice should be still a bit gritty inside when you are draining it. Set aside to cool.
• Heat oil in a sauce pan and when it is just hot crackle the mustard seeds and immediately add the dried red chillies and urad dal lentils. As they get discoloured add the peanuts, followed by the cashews, then quickly throw in the curry leaves and whole slit green chillies. The cashews and the urad dal lentils get browned fast all the steps have to be followed in order and quickly.
• Quickly pour 1/2 the can of coconut milk (shake it well before opening it) into the sauce pan. Add 1 tsp salt and let it cook on simmer for 3 - 4 minutes. Sprinkle a little water from the sides if too thick.
• Pour this flavoured coconut milk solution into the rice and fluff it with a wooden fork and leave aside for sometime for the coconut milk and the flavours to get absorbed in the rice.
• As a finishing touch, garnish the rice with freshly grated coconut and chopped cilantro. The coconut rice is ready to serve and enjoy. It is so flavourful and delicious.

Notes

Notes:
1. Use any long grain white rice or basumathi rice which is not sticky. It has to be cooked al dente so the grains are separate and are not mushy.

2. It is important to use good quality coconut milk which does not have any preservatives. So I prefer using brands like "A Taste of Thai" and "Aroy D".

3. The nuts and curry leaves infuse flavour into the rice, so using fresh curry leaves makes the rice aromatic and appealing to the taste buds.

4. Do not burn the mustard seeds, lentils, nuts or red chillies while tempering.  So do not let the oil be fuming hot but just hot enough for the mustard seeds to crackle. By following all the steps carefully you could achieve good results.

5. You could also use 100% pure coconut oil or ghee for tempering.

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