COCNUT RICE - LUNCH BOX AND BREAKFAST RECIPE

  Main  Ingredients

   Cooked rice -2 cups full

   Fresh grated coconut -1 and 1/2cup

   For the seasoning 

   Oil -1 tbsp (preferably fresh cocnut oil)

   Mustard seeds –1 tsp

   Cumin seeds –1/2 tsp (optional)

   Channa dal/Bengal Gram – 1/2 tbsp

   Urad dal (black gram skinned and splitted) – 2 tsp

   Red chillies – 2

   Green chillies -1 slit

   Curry leaves – few

   Ginger (finely chopped or slivered ) – 1 inch piece

   Asafoetida/Hing – a pinch

   Cashew nuts -8-10

   Salt as needed

Preparation 

Cook rice in such a way that each grains are separate. Add a tsp of oil (any cooking oil)to the cooked 

rice and spread the rice on a plate to cool. You can use ordinary rice or basmati rice.

Grate coconut and keep all the ingredients needed for seasoning ready. Fresh coconut is recommended for this recipe.

Method 

Heat oil in a kadai/ pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds (optional) 

when it splutters, add channa dal,urad dal and red chillies. (add channa dal first as it will take time to get roasted, then add urad dal ) When dal changes color slightly, add green chillies, slivered ginger, asafoetida Hing), curry leaves and cashew nuts.

 Sauté until cashew nuts turn golden brown. (remove the red chillies when sauteing cashewnuts. Once the cashew nuts turn golden brown, add the fried red chillies back - this is to prevent the red chillies from getting burnt).

Add grated coconut and sauté for a few minutes. It is not necessary to fry the grated coconut until it turn brown. Add salt needed and mix well and switch off the heat.

Fluff cooked rice with a fork and add it to the prepared coconut mix. Mix the cooked rice well with the coconut tadka 

Serve the rice with any gravy or with cucumber raitha 

Notes 

For typical south Indian taste,if it is ok with you,please use coconut oil 

soak the chana dal for 1 hour before adding to Tadka ,this will enhance the tatse