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South Indian Coconut Rice served in a coconut shell
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Easy Indian Coconut Rice Recipe (Vegan Thengai Sadam)

Learn how to make Thengai Sadam, a traditional South Indian Coconut Rice, at home in minutes! This light and fluffy Vegan Coconut Rice is made with freshly grated coconut, cooked Basmati, and a simple tempering of spices. If you have leftover rice, this flavorful dish comes together in just 10 minutes — perfect for lunch, a quick weeknight dinner, or as a side with your favorite South Indian curries and dals.
Course dry snack, rice
Cuisine Indian, South Indian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 433.73kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat coconut oil in a pan. Once hot, temper the black mustard seeds. Once they begin to splutter, add GF asafoetida, raw urad dal, and chana dal. At this stage, you can also add peanuts and cashews if using.
  • When the dals and nuts turn a light golden color, tear and add the curry leaves, minced green chilies, and half of the chopped cilantro. Sauté for about 2 minutes.
  • Next, add the grated coconut and salt. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Finally, add the cooked rice and gently mix everything together. Cook for 2 more minutes, then check the seasoning and adjust salt if needed. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and remove the pan from the heat.

Notes

If you find the fried lentils difficult to chew, soak the chana dal and urad dal in water for 10 minutes before cooking to soften them. To boost the protein content of this carb-rich dish, consider adding cooked beans or legumes such as chickpeas, black-eyed peas, black beans, or kidney beans. If you prefer, you can also substitute dried red chilies for the green chilies for a different flavor and heat level.

Nutrition

Calories: 433.73kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.17g | Protein: 10.03g | Fat: 26.33g | Saturated Fat: 16.47g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.63g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.17g | Sodium: 237.5mg | Potassium: 282.99mg | Fiber: 10.1g | Sugar: 4.63g | Vitamin A: 147.65IU | Vitamin C: 39.11mg | Calcium: 54.38mg | Iron: 2.55mg