Thengai satham / Coconut Rice

Thengai satham / coconut rice is one of the 'variety rices' prepared in South India. This is usually made as lunch box maincourses while growing up. I too make this for my hubby often. This recipe is a very quick recipe. This recipe if enough for  2 adults. After we cook the rice (which takes 20 mins) , it takes only 10 mins to prepare this dish. So while cooking the rice I prepare the garnish and mix .  

I learned to cook these variety rices (kalantha satham / chithrannam ) when I started helping my mom when I was just 12 or 13. It came handy on many mornings as I would cook and pack all of us 3 siblings lunch boxes and would leave some 2 more lunches for amma and appa too to impress amma some days. Not only on Mother's day, almost all weekends, I used to make amma bed-coffee and would help her in kitchen during my school / college vacations.

Learning cooking at an early age is easy and important as we get more energy and lesser chores at that age. But as we grow up we get more busy and learning something like cooking becomes a humongous task.

Ingredients: (for 2 adults)

Rice (pacharisi / Basmathi) - 1 1/4 cup
Shredded coconut - 3/4 cup

Mustard - 1 tsp
Moong dal - 2 tsp
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Dry red chilly - 2
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp

cooking the rice:

(I prefer stove top method for pulao and 'variety rices'. we can microwave also. But the pressure cooker method makes the rice mushy. Rice cooker can also be used to prepare the rice).

Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes.
Bring to boil some 4 cups of water along with 1/4 tsp salt.
Add the soaked , drained rice and reduce heat. Cook covered till almost done.
Switch off and pour it over a colander and remove the water completely.
Keep the rice open to maintain it as separate grains. Let it cool for sometime.

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and add mustard seeds. As they start to crackle, slide in the moong dhal, red chillies (cut into small pieces), curry leaf, shredded coconut , in the same order and fry till the coconut starts smelling great. (See video) .

Switch off  when coconut starts turning red. During hot weather, it is better to roast the coconut till slightly golden brown.
Add some salt to taste (1 tsp). Switch off heat.

Gently mix the rice with the prepared coconut mixture without breaking the rice grains.

Coconut rice is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Good for a quick packed lunch.
It can also be served as starter rice before serving the sambar over plain rice in an elaborate lunch.
Serve with paruppu thogaiyal (fried dhal chutbney), potato chips etc, brinjal serva, egg thokku.