Thursday, March 12, 2009

Coconut milk rice

I am very sure this is a well known dish to many. But posting it just to recollect my favorite rice recipe.
I got introduced to this coconut milk rice from my mom's friend, Mrs.Noohu. She lived in another town called kayalpattinam (TN, India), some miles away from my dad's house. Mom told me that , the aunt used to stay with and comfort my mom when she conceived us. During Ramzan and other other festival days she would not be able to travel so far to share her amazing dishes. So whenever she visits us, she would love to cook /teach so many fabulous dishes for my mom. Mom took note of those recipes and preserved them as treasure. The following rice is also one among them.
We call it as 'thengai paal choru ' that means 'rice cooked in Coconut milk'. Just like the ghee rice, they serve it along with any spicy non veg curry during the special occasions.
Here goes the recipe for the 'Thengai paal choru'.



Thengai paal choru/ coconut milk rice/ Thangai pal saatham

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice / Jeeraga samba unboiled rice - 2 cup
Shredded coconut - 1 cup
(or) canned thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
water - 3 cups
water measurement for open vessel cooking and rice cooker :(number of cups of rice x 2) - 1 = (2x2)-1 = 3
Onion- 1 (or) Shallot - 10
cloves - 2
cardamom - 1
cinnamon - 1 inch
Bay leaf - 2
cashew nut - a handful or more
oil - 1 tbsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Method:

Step 1:
Measure the rice using a cup. Wash and clean it. Drain water and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Step 2:
Measure water using the same cup.  Use this water to extract milk from shredded coconut.

Step 3:
Take a big vessel with lid.
Heat it with a tbsp of oil / ghee. Roast the soaked rice till it becomes fragrant (not red). Add the coconut milk and bring to boil .
Add 1/2 tsp salt for every cup of rice and swich off flame.

Step 4:
Chop the onion into thin long slices
In the mean time, heat ghee in a wok.
Fry the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and cardamon .
Then add the cashews and fry them to golden color.
Put the chopped onion and saute them to golden color.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
Care should be taken, not to char the mixture.
(otherwise we cannot get a white rice in the end)

Step 6:
Add the fried items to the rice . Cook in very low flame till all the water gets absorbed.
Switch off flame.
Garnish with a handful of chopped cilantro and mint leaves.
Coconut milk rice is ready!

Note:
The rice grains may seem sticky at first .But after an hour of settling time, the oil in the coconut milk will make the grains remain separate and we will get a perfect thengai paal satham.

Serving suggestions:

The above said quantity will be comfortably enough for 3-4 people, as we feel very full to have the rice cooked in coconut milk.
Serve hot with any vegetarian or non vegetarian spicy curries.

Alternate method:
Bring water to boil. The quantity of the water should be more than that required to immerse the rice. Add the rice , salt and coconut milk. Cook till the rice gets cooked 90% . Drain the water and garnish like the above said way.

22 comments:

Yasmeen said...

Thanks to your mom and Ms.Noohu,the flavorful coconut milk rice is such a delicious delectable recipe:)

Malar Gandhi said...

Sure Mommy took a nice note of it, and so did you! Thanks a lot to Mrs.Noohu and Mommy. This thengai paal choru is so authentic, love to grab a spoon full right now, ha ha.

Poornima Nair said...

I had this for the first time after coming to the US at a friends place...absolutely love it. The rice looks delicious.

Varsha Vipins said...

Nice recipe..The slightly sweet taste must go yum with spicy meat dishes..:)

Unknown said...

i make this too..love it..

Purva Desai said...

Rice with delicious coconut milk flavor will taste really good.
Bundle of awards waiting for you, collect it from my blog

Shama Nagarajan said...

wow..my most favourite....i too have most it with veggies added.....looks delicious

Chutneytales said...

I too make this rice.Its flavorful and very delicious..Nice recipe,Viki

Priya Suresh said...

Wonderful flavoursome coconut milk rice...delicious!!

FH said...

I love this rice too, so fragrant and tasty. Looks so good, Viki. Enjoy! :)

Anonymous said...

That will be tasting divine dear..I loved the rice.

Trupti said...

Vicky, Coconut milk rice looks very delicious. I only tried sweet coconut rice never tried spicy one.

Finla said...

Wow the recipe sounds so delicious.
I shouldgive this a try.

Deepa Hari said...

I love this rice Viki...absolutely delicious.

Gita Jaishankar said...

Lovely dish VIki, thanks for such an authentic dish :)

gtyuk said...

this is how we do the thenga paal soru too! looks perfect!

Preety said...

hey i heard about this rice recipe for the first time..i never used coconut milk in my rice dishes..good you shared and now i will do some experimenting with my rice too next time..

Cham said...

I imagine with mutton kurma, delicous!

Vibaas said...

This is something new to me. Looks so yummy Viki.

Raks said...

I too make a coconut milk rice,but bit different way! Urs sounds good!!

Madhu's cooking gallery said...

I love this flavor! looks super yum!

Unknown said...

I did this weekend..came out really well.. but used maggie coconut milk powder.

Thanks for sharing

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