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Coconut Rice, step by step on video
See how the tempering, peanuts and cashews are roasted before the coconut and rice go in.
5:39 · Recipe video · Cooking with Siddhi
Coconut Rice is a popular South Indian rice recipe, also known as thengai sadam. If you have cooked rice, it can be made in about 10 minutes.
A tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, chana dal and urad dal is roasted in oil and butter with peanuts and cashews, then fresh grated coconut, green chillies and curry leaves go in before the rice. It goes well in a kids lunchbox or tiffin box, or for a light dinner.
Every recipe on Cooking with Siddhi is cooked in my own kitchen before it goes live.
Why you will love this coconut rice
- Quick: about 10 minutes with cooked rice.
- Crunchy: roasted dals, peanuts and cashews.
- Lunchbox friendly: good for tiffin or a light dinner.
- Fresh coconut: 3/4 cup grated coconut.
Ingredient notes
- Rice: 2 cups cooked rice.
- Coconut: 3/4 cup fresh grated coconut, sautéed for a minute and a half.
- Oil and butter: 1½ tbsp oil, with 1 tbsp butter added once the oil is hot.
- Cashews: 8 to 10, slit, roasted until they have a nice golden hue.
Coconut Rice Recipe
South Indian coconut rice: cooked rice tossed with fresh grated coconut and a crunchy tempering of dals, peanuts, cashews, green chillies and curry leaves.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 3/4 cup fresh coconut, grated
- 1½ tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tbsp split black gram (urad dal)
- 1/2 tbsp split Bengal gram (chana dal)
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
- 1 tbsp peanuts
- 8–10 cashews, slit
- A few curry leaves
- 1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
- 1 dry red chilli
- 2 green chillies, slit
- 1/2 lemon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil. Heat a pan and add the oil.
- Add the butter. Once the oil is hot, add the butter.
- Temper. After the butter melts, add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the cumin seeds, asafoetida, chana dal and urad dal. Mix and roast well for a minute.
- Roast the peanuts. Add the peanuts and roast for a minute again.
- Roast the cashews. Add the cashews and roast until they have a nice golden hue.
- Add the coconut. Add the slit green chillies, curry leaves and grated coconut. Sauté for a minute and a half.
- Add the rice. Pour in the rice, add salt to taste and mix everything well.
- Cover and cook. Cover the pan with a lid, lower the flame and cook for a minute.
- Toss. After a minute, remove the lid and toss the rice around.
- Finish. Just before taking it off the flame, add the coriander leaves and squeeze in half a lemon.
Recipe by Siddhi Panchal.
Tips for coconut rice
- Use cooked rice so it comes together in about 10 minutes.
- Let the mustard seeds splutter before adding the cumin, asafoetida and dals.
- Roast the cashews until they have a nice golden hue.
- Add the coriander and lemon just before taking it off the flame.
What to serve with Coconut Rice
Pair coconut rice with sambar, rasam or any spicy thin curry. It also goes well in a lunchbox or tiffin box, or for a light dinner. For more rice recipes, try my Sweet Corn Fried Rice and Palak Khichdi.
Coconut Rice FAQs
What is coconut rice also called?
It is also known as thengai sadam, a popular South Indian rice recipe.
How long does coconut rice take?
With cooked rice, about 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, so 20 minutes in total.
What do I serve coconut rice with?
Sambar, rasam or any spicy thin curry.
When do I add the lemon?
Just before taking it off the flame, along with the coriander leaves.
How many does this recipe serve?
It serves 2 to 3.
More recipes
Find more rice recipes in our Rice collection, or browse every recipe.