This is a rice dish, with desiccated coconut and other spices, made in most Tamilian households, when the time is a constraint but there are hungry mouths to feed. This can be made as prasadam (offering) for Gods too. This is simple, delectable and easy to make dish and can be had as a main meal with appalam. This rice dish can be taken for picnics, school tiffin or very short journeys . The ingredients required, are few and is always available in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- Cooked and cooled rice 4 cups,
- Grated coconut 1 cup,
- Ghee 3 teaspoon,
- Oil 2 teaspoons,
- Mustard 1 teaspoon,
- Black gram dal 2 teaspoon,
- Green chillies 4 chopped fine,
- Red chillies 2 broken into two,
- Cashew nuts 10 to 12 in numbers,
- Curry leaves few,
- Asafoetida ¼ teaspoon
- Salt 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Method
- The rice cooked , should be separate and should not be sticky or be mushy.
- Soak blackgram dal in water for 10 minutes, drain and keep aside.
- Heat ghee in a pan and oil in a deep pan, add mustard as it splutters, add black gram dal, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies, red chillies ,cashew nuts and shallow fry for a minute.
- Add coconut and stir to reddish brown.
- Add cooked rice to this seasoning and sprinkle salt and mix gently. Coconut rice is ready to serve.
- Serve along with papad or appalam.
- Any type of rice can be used to make the above rice . But Ponni raw rice , Jeeraga samba rice and Basmati will give a distinct flavour to the dish.
Note
Coconut got lots of bad publicity, as being artery clogging and contributing to heart disease. However, our ancestors used them in abundance and were very healthy. Nowadays coconut has again gained in prominence and is a new miracle food. Its very nutritious and rich in vitamins and minerals. Every part of coconut is useful to mankind. Coconut water is thirst quenching and restores tissue damage and a source of healthy fats. Coconut and coconut oil are used extensively in Indian kitchen which has loads of goodness too.