Thengai Saadham | Coconut Rice

Prepared rice varieties are the best quick fix for those busy week nights or for the morning rush. This flavorful Thengai Saadham is made with very few ingredients and tastes best when made using fresh grated coconut. This rice works great as a lunch box menu, but I would not recommend it for lunch box on a very hot day. I made this using Sona massoori, but you could make it with Basmati or brown rice as well.

Check out my other Prepared rice varieties here.

Ingredients to make Thengai Saadham –

• Rice – 1 cup
• Coconut (grated fresh or fresh frozen) – ¾ cup
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Ullutham paruppu/urad dal – 1 tsp
• Kadalai paruppu/channa dal – 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts – 1 tbsp (optional)
• Red chilies – 2
• Green chilies – 2
• Curry leaves – few
• Asafetida – ¼ tsp
• Oil (coconut or vegetable oil) – 1 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

Procedure –

• Cook rice and let it cool down to room temperature.
• In a pan, add the oil and then all the seasonings. Let the seasonings fry for a couple of minutes.

• Once the seasonings are fried, add the grated coconut. Let the coconut fry till it just begins to change color. Also add the salt at this stage and mix well. Do not let the coconut change color, since then the mixed rice will not be white.

• Now add this mixture to the cooling rice and mix well. Check and adjust salt if needed.
• Serve the Thengai Saadham with appalam/Papad or Vadam. It is also served with More Kuzhambu.