Thenga Sadham (Coconut Rice)
I come from a very traditional family from the south of India. During my school days, my mother always packed lunch for me. No matter how hard it was, she would always get up early to make something yummy for me every day. And she did this all through fifteen years each day. Her recipes were simple, tasty and nutritious. My lunch was a big hit at my school. My friends would open my Tiffin box eagerly to get a taste of my food. Most of the days, my friends finished my lunch. Sometimes, if the aroma was too good, I could not even wait till lunch time. I used to open it during class hours and grab a quick bite. I think back on those fond memories of my mom's happy face on seeing me gorge on her yummy food. Her specialty was this coconut rice. She did it with a lot of subtle variations that improved the taste and texture each time.
This is a great picnic recipe too. My mother often makes it on our family outings. It is easy to make and is very delicious.
Variations to this recipe:
Instead of coconut in the above procedure, you can use mango to make it mango rice.
The mangoes have to be green and not too sour. They should be grated finely.
Best combinations are potato chips, mint chutney or pickle.
Ingredients
- White Rice - 2 cups
- Coconut - 1 cup
- Urad Dhal - 2 tablespoon
- Bengal gram - 2 table spoon
- Asfoetida - A pinch
- Curry leaves
- Red chili - 5
- Cashew nuts
- Oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Cook the rice and keep it aside. The rice should be cooked as separate grains.
- Now add oil to a pan.
- Add the Bengal gram, urad dhal, and cashew nuts and roast slightly.
- Next add asfoetida, curry leaves, red chilies and fry for a minute.
- The aroma at this stage will be rich.
- Finally add the coconut and saute till it becomes mild brown.
- Mix the cooked rice with this mixture.
- Serve with potato chips or spicy gravy.
How do you like it?