South Indian Coconut Rice recipe
Its amazing how sometimes my mind works so differently from many of my friends. Not always in a good way am sure :). See weekends are the time when everyone needs that 'family' time together having hustled and bustled throughout the week- isnt it? That's the time when the woman of the house tends to cook something special for her family. My mother was like that, many of my aunts are that way and so are my friends. I especially remember one of my aunt who used to live one floor above us. Come Sunday, we would hear the coconut scraping at a predictable time. My father would immediately in good humor order me and my sister to go around the house and verify if all our clocks are running correctly! That's how precise my aunt was.
South Indian Coconut Rice recipe
My brain works differently. I might be running late, I might be tired - whatever the reason might be, I prepare all the diverse dishes during the week. Come weekend - NADA! My kitchen except for baking my weekly bread would be as clean as it can get. My logic? Same as rest of them - "Family" time. I don't like slogging in the kitchen when I could instead be spending time with them. I used to wonder why my mother always insisted that we (esp. when my father was at home) sit near the kitchen and do whatever we were doing (mostly jabbering). She just wanted us around so that she could hear and join in. I am JUST the same, now that I am in her position. I would only agree to go and cook something provided my better half come and sit somewhere near me where I could watch what "he was upto"! ;)
  • Cook time:
  • Prep time:
  • Serves: 2 people
Ingredients
  • About 2 cups freshly grated coconut
  • 1 cup of medium grained rice, soaked in some water for at least 20 min and cooked such that grains are separated. Left overs work great too.
  • 2 tsp split black gram (urad dal)
  • 2 tsp Bengal gram (channa dal), soaked in some warm water for 10 minutes
  • 3-4 dried red chillies (or as per taste)
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
  • few sprigs of curry leaves
  • few cashews (anywhere from 5-10)
  • salt to taste
Method
1. Before going into the recipe, let us first see the grating process of coconut.
2. As I said, I have this wet grinder which I use to make the traditional Idli/Dosa batter. I have an attachment - coconut grater - which is such a boon for me .
3. I let the grinder run and place one half of the broken coconut and place it on top of the grater.
4. Slant it on the sides to grate the coconut from all the sides. Unless you are highly skilled, pls dont talk on the phone or day dream like me. I was so lost in nostalgia thinking of me scraping fresh coconut in my mom's kitchen which she needed for making absolutely delicious coconut burfi. (She otherwise did not use coconut in any other dish - since my father had diabetes). Anyways - thanks to all that day dreaming - guess what happened?
5. This of course!!!! Of course its a teeny weeny cut, but you want to be careful around it. I, of course, made sure that I din't lose my blood over the coconut! It would have been such a 'bloody' mess ;) ..and such a waste of.....my blood of course! What did you expect me to say? Coconut? Umm....well I sure know where my loyalties lie - not so much of yours!!
6. OK OK will go to the recipe (now I realize how my allotted blog drafting time always seems so short..I write way too much nonsense! oops there I go again!!!). Once you are done with the scraping, you get some fresh coconut. I love eating fresh coconut! Tastes Yum!
7. Now meanwhile, in a 1 tsp oil (or ghee for added flavor), temper the seeds. Once they start popping, add the black gram, drained bengal gram, red chillies, cashews , curry leaves and asafoetida. You don't have to add curry leaves now - can add it later. But I prefer this way.
8. Once the lentils have browned and cashews roasted, add the grated coconut and stir for 5-10 min or until the coconut gets toasted and turns slightly reddish brown.
9. Now add the rice.
10. Mix well until combined.
Serve hot. It's good plain, with papad (or popadam) or with delicious roasted potatoes! South Indian Coconut Rice recipe

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1 Member Reviews

By Priyanka on Aug 29, 2011

In the same method as u have done.. I just added chopped onions to them :)

44 Comments

By MEGHANA on Oct 2, 2016

I think we can add little green chill paste to get more flavour

Definitely! --DK

By SeaFooD Recipes on Dec 25, 2015

what a delicios food! I love it. I prepared, the taste was awsome..

By Thembelani on May 28, 2015

i love the way u write. you make so clear and easy to follow your instructions. tnx :wink:

By Rashmi on May 1, 2015

Loved the way you think, the way you write. My mom too would cook something special on weekends and I too can't even get a Maggi going! haven't tried the recipe yet. But if it is anything like your writing, it's bound to be good! 8)

By Banu on Feb 20, 2015

Wow...remembering those days when my mom used to make this...I used to love it. As somebody said she used to add crunchy happla(papad) pieces into this. Thanks for the share..Brought back those memories..

By Mani on Feb 20, 2015

To this rice if you add appalam pieces it will taste awesome.

By Vijaya Lakshmi on Feb 19, 2015

Why soaking bengal gram ?I always do it without soaking. I want to know if it makes a better taste. Thank you. We always enjoy your blog and the nonsense[ :wink: ] ,colorful presentation and finally the great tips in it. Thank you.

Its too crunchy for us otherwise, hence little bit of soaking. And further more, soaking always aids digestion. --DK

By prakash sowji on Jul 8, 2014

nice yummy.... :wink: :-P

By Abdul on May 5, 2014

Any alternative to grinding coconut myself? pre-grounded coconut that Indian grocery store sells?

By Arunsudha on Mar 17, 2014

:-| good one

By saikat chakraborty on Feb 9, 2014

Very nice blog and i would like to eat this variant of . Looks so simple and tasty ofcourse.

By bhavya on Jan 6, 2014

:-P :) :wink: i loved it a lot so good

By bhavya on Jan 6, 2014

:-P :)so good i loved it a lot

By Sindhu Sajeev on Jan 4, 2014

:-P :-P well it was a good dish but,how can north Indian have benefit from it??

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By Jayashree V Menon on Jul 12, 2013

Nice recipe. But when to add salt? :wink:

By Mike on May 4, 2013

When to add salt?

By sherine on Nov 23, 2012

Hey myself i am a house wife and mom of 2 yr old kid. i am working women as hr manager .i love cooking in which i dunno traditional ones soo this is the best way to learn i guess this helps me a lot ,,, i need to know where exactly i can buy this coconut scrapper. any address of tehm which i can folow . i am from tvm

Any kind of coconut scraper should work. In India, I assume its available in any utensil shop! --DK

By Sri Lanka 22 on Oct 29, 2012

Hi, how do you find the grinder attachment,(coconut scraper) its very handy.

By lakshmi Thutupalii on Oct 18, 2012

what a delicios food! I love it. I prepared, the taste was awsome..

By suprabha on Oct 8, 2012

very good very simple and very tastey.. :)

By babita on Jul 25, 2012

Shredded cocnut available at indian/pakstani/bengla grocery store.Grinding attachment of the wetgrinder not allowed to be sold in USA.

By Melinda on Jun 15, 2012

REALLY want to know where you found that food processor attachment! Please tell us!!

Its not a food processor attachment - its a wet grinder's and that which I got from India --DK

By Sarah on Jan 29, 2012

Hi i came across your webpage and I absolutely love Authentic Cooking. I just wanted to know what brand of rice do you use because I can find basmati rice any where but i want to know what brand of basmati is the best.

By maria on Oct 19, 2011

hello. would u pls tell me where to get this coconut scraper, or what's the name of the machine you used? i prefer if you replied through my email add. thanks.

By anushruti on Aug 28, 2011

This rice with some roast potatoes would be one of my most perfect meals!

By sweety16 on Aug 24, 2011

verry nice good job postiing pics too weldone :-D

By Kilim on Jun 17, 2011

The gud thing is that you have posted the pictures too..I am a learner and the measures of the indrediants are of great problem for me...Seeing the pictorical presentation gives me a idea about the quantity of each item to be added in the dish..thanks.Pls continue tht..Very useful for me... :)

By Ricky on Jun 8, 2011

This is sooooo delicious, i had it whilst i was visiting India last year ,and was determined to try making it myself. only problem is that we dont have fresh coconuts here so the dry dessicated one has to do - but still its good. thanks so much.

By Lakshmi on Sep 12, 2010

Nice recipe :-D tried it came out well :)

By meenakshi on Feb 25, 2010

still waiting for momos recpie

By Lalitha on Feb 9, 2010

yes, i agree to the fact that coconut rice is a simple recipe.. but more than that i really liked the way you narrated the whole thing... it was as if i was reading a short story.. keep up the good work :-D

By Jennifer on Feb 2, 2010

What a gorgeous dish! I adore coconut rice!

By Naksha on Jan 31, 2010

Looks very tasty, will surely try it. Thanks D, was looking for this recipe for a long tiem. :-|

By PJ on Jan 31, 2010

You speak my mind dhivi!!I need someone in the kitchen when I am cooking and the only person who can give me company is lil angel who sits on the kitchen counter and we make a very crazy pair.Me teaching her to cook and she teaching me her rhymes!!!Loved the pics,they look so tempting.

By CurryLeaf on Jan 31, 2010

Hey we think alike.I too have weekends "off" except for baking.Ofcourse daily cooking is there but nothing special.I simply want to switch myself off.Actually,come friday night i shutdown my laptop till monday,unless some event or sudden urge for blogging takes over.BTW,I too use my grinder accessory to scrap coconut.Love the coconut rice.Very simple yet filling

By mridhu on Jan 31, 2010

Simple recipe but mind blowing presentation :)

By soumya on Jan 31, 2010

hi, u have very nice space here and i love the way u commute with the readers...coconut rice is ne of my fav...its been quite a long time i did this.So thanks for a reminder. Since i am on a diet will make this for my family for sure.I bet fresh coconut is much better and makes the dish tasty.

By Mala on Jan 31, 2010

Lovely Pics Dhivya !! :) Love the presentation... I completely agree with you about wanting to spend time with family and friends over the weekend... I have got to plan and work around that more.... :)

By Sra on Jan 31, 2010

Good that I chanced upon this post - I have two packets of shredded coconut and was wondering how to use it up!

By Rekha on Jan 31, 2010

Hi Dk very nice to see u in my blog after a long time, thank u so much for your lovely words. coconut rice my fav. easy way to make looks so yum......

By simplyfood on Jan 31, 2010

Simple easy and looks very appetising.What more can you wish for and also beautiful presentation.

By Sharmilee on Jan 31, 2010

What a presentation it is! Luved the simple n easy coconut rice recipe....ur pics are always a treat to watch!