Coconut rice

Nowadays I am trying out so much variety in rice itself, I am so happy I could find new favourites with almost every recipe variation of simple basmati rice. Being from Kerala, the land where coconut is added to anything and everything, I had to keep aloof from this tasty nut after coming to US. I had no means of grating or even breaking open the coconut, and ofcourse trips to the Indian store were almost unheard of (for us)! Blogging has brought me back to the wonderful Indian cuisine and is inspiring me to try almost everything that dont sound very complicated! These days trips to the Indian store is more frequent, but that too not at par with many others. Thankfully I had some frozen grated coconut that I got from the Indian store this week. Eventhough it wasnt nearly as tasty as fresh coconut, it did its purpose. We thoroughly enjoyed it. JM couldnt contain his hunger once he saw the rice, and lil LM wasnt far behind. I was surprised about the simplicity of the dish and if you have the cooked rice, its just a matter of minutes before you could enjoy a steaming bowl of coconut rice. Enjoy and have a great weekend!! BTW, this is my first time making or eating this! :-)

Recipe (Serves 2-3) :

Basmati rice (white) - 3 1/2 cups, cooked
Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Urad dal - 1 tsp (optional)
Curry leaves - 4-5
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dried red chilly - 1 medium
Cashewnuts - 6 whole unsalted
Chopped cilantro - a few sprigs
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - 1/4 tsp or to taste
Groundnut or vegetable oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a skillet big enough to hold the rice.

Add the mustard seeds.

When they start to crackle, add asafoetida, urad dal, dried red chilly, curry leaves and cashewnuts.

Saute for a minute or two until the cashewnuts and urad dal are light brown.

Toss in the shredded/grated coconut and fry for a minute more.

Mix in the cooked rice and stir until mixed well and heated through.

Adjust the seasoning by adding salt as needed.

Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and mix well.

Serve hot with Indian curries.

Source: India with passion by Manju Malhi.

Tips:

1. I used frozen grated coconut after thawing.
2. We had it with curd, pickle and pappads.

Once again its award-time. Rachel of Tangerine's kitchen passed me two beautiful awards - The Yummy Blog award and the Rocking Girl Blogger award. At this time, I am dedicating and awarding these two awards to all of you - especially my fellow rocking bloggers, my lovely readers, all my friends and family who are encouraging me everyday to keep up the blog! Love ya all!! Again, wishing you all a great weekend!!

I am also sending this to EC's "Mixed Rice Varieties" event at Simple Indian Food. I am also sending this to Archana's "One Dish Meal event" at Archana's kitchen.

UPDATE: I am sending this to "Rice Mela" hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons.