South Indian Coconut Rice

Vegan Coconut Rice is an easy and popular South Indian dish made with Basmati rice. This recipe is very simple, quick to make, and delicious!

Course rice

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Servings people

Calories 434.75kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups cooked Basmati rice
1 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon asafoetida
1 tablespoon urad dal
2 tablespoon chana dal
¼ cup peanuts optional
¼ cup cashews optional
6 curry leaves
6 green chilies minced
⅓ cup cilantro
salt

Instructions

If using fresh coconut, grate them first. If using fresh rice instead of leftover rice, cook the rice ahead of time and allow it to cool down completely before using it in this recipe.
Heat coconut oil in a pan. Temper mustard seeds once the oil is hot. As it splutters, add asafoetida, urad dal and chana dal. You can also add peanuts and cashews at this point.
Once they all turn light golden, tear and add the curry leaves, minced green chilies and half the cilantro. Saute for 2 minutes.
Then add the grated coconut and salt. Give it a mix and cook for another 2 minutes.
Lastly, add the cooked rice. Mix it all together and cook for 2 more minutes. Check the seasoning and add salt if needed. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and take it off the flame.

Video

Notes

If you have difficulty chewing the fried lentils, soak the chana dal and urad dal in water for 15 minutes before cooking. This will soften them considerably.

To make it gluten-free, skip adding the asafoetida. Coconut oil is preferred in this rice recipe but you can also use vegan ghee or any other vegetable oil.

When using frozen shredded coconut, thaw it and dry roast it as well if needed to remove the excess moisture. Use dried red chilies instead of green chilies if need be.

Add some cooked beans and legumes like chickpeas, black-eyed peas, black beans, and kidney beans to give this carb-rich dish a boost of protein.

Nutrition