Coconut Rice (South Indian Style)

The coconut tree is rightly called the ‘tree of life,’ for the myriad ways each part of the tree be used. Even if we take the fruit in itself, there’s so much a coconut offers – the fresh flesh, water, dried coconut and more. This recipe is one such that uses the coconut in its most popular way. Coconut Rice is a light, tasty, savory South Indian rice variant made with fresh grated coconut, lentils, herbs and spices. This recipe is easy, yet delicious and is vegan too. For a gluten free version, just skip the asafoetida.

About Coconut Rice

This nutty and mild rice-based dish is called Coconut Rice, also Thengai Sadam in Tamil language. The words ‘thengai’ means ‘coconut’ and ‘sadam’ denotes ‘rice.’

Coconut Rice is one of the staples as well as favorite dishes in the South Indian regions of India. Fairly simple to make, this dish comes together by mixing sautéed or fried lentils, spices, herbs and fresh grated coconut with cooked rice.

There are quite a number of variations of this Coconut Rice recipe in South Indian cuisine. My recipe version features freshly grated coconut, which is also the star here.

The lentils, cashews add a lovely crunch to the dish and a nutty flavor. I include both red chilies and green chilies for that bit of smoky heat in the rice.

This particular rice dish is made during the South Indian festivals of Pongal and Navratri. In my many visits to different cities and towns in southern India, I largely visited places of interest and many temples. In some of the temples there, we were served this Coconut Rice, Pongal as well as Curd Rice.

For this recipe of Coconut Rice, if you already prep up by grating the coconut earlier, then the dish comes together quickly. No prizes for guessing, that the recipe tastes best with fresh coconut. However, if you don’t have it, then you can even prepare this rice with frozen coconut.

Another variant of this Coconut Rice recipe is made with coconut milk and called Thengai Paal Sadam in Tamil and Coconut Milk Rice in English. The difference is that in the Coconut Milk Rice recipe, the rice grains are cooked in coconut milk, herbs and spices.

Along with the Coconut Rice, I often make such simple rice variations when I want to cook something easy. Some more such hassle-free recipes that I love to make are Lemon Rice, Mango Rice and Tomato Rice.

How to make Coconut Rice

Soak Rice and Lentils

1. Soak 1 cup regular non-sticky Indian rice (like sona masuri, ponni, surti kolam, parmal rice) or basmati rice in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Also, soak ½ tablespoon urad dal and ½ tablespoon chana dal in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Later, drain the water very well and keep the lentils aside.

Urad dal is husked and split black gram. Chana dal is husked and split bengal gram.

You can add the lentils without soaking when making the dish. However, soaking them, improves their texture and gives a good taste to the rice.

Cook Rice

3. After 20 to 30 minutes, drain all the water from the rice. Add the rice grains together with 1.75 to 2 cups water in a 2-liter stovetop pressure cooker

Pressure cook the rice on medium to medium-high heat for 2 whistles or 5 to 6 minutes. When the pressure settles down naturally in the cooker, open the lid and fluff the rice.

For a softer texture in the rice, pressure cook for 3 whistles. If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook rice in a pot, pan or the Instant Pot. I have listed the details below.

1. Cooking in a pot or pan: Take the soaked rice and 2 cups water in a pan. Cover and simmer on low to medium-low heat until rice grains are tender and the water has been absorbed. If most of the water has evaporated and the rice grains look undercooked, add a few tablespoons of hot water. Cover and continue to cook rice.
2. Cooking in Instant Pot: Transfer the rice grains and 1.5 cups water in the Instant Pot. Seal the lid and position the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high pressure for 4 to 5 minutes. When the cooking is complete and you hear the beep sound, wait for 5 minutes before giving a quick pressure release. Open the lid and transfer the rice to a tray or plate for cooling.

4. Take the rice on a plate/tray and allow to cool completely. If there are lumps in the rice, then break the lumps once the rice is cooled.

Fry Spices and Lentils

5. Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a pan. Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and let it crackle.

You can also use sesame oil (not the Asian sesame oil which is toasted but the oil that is made from raw sesame seeds a.k.a gingelly oil) or any other neutral tasting oil.

6. When the mustard seeds are crackling, add the strained chana dal and urad dal. Mix and fry on low heat for a minute.

7. Add 2 tablespoons chopped cashews.

8. Stir and fry until the cashews turn golden. The lentils would also turn golden by then.

9. Add the below listed spices and herbs:

• 1 or 2 dried red chilies (broken and seeds removed)
• 10 to 12 curry leaves
• 1 or 2 chopped green chilies or ½ to 1 teaspoon, chopped
• 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing)

For a gluten-free rice, skip the asafoetida or use gluten-free asafoetida.

10. Stir and fry until the red chillies change color. The curry leaves would also become crisp.

Add Coconut

11. Next, add 1.5 cups tightly packed grated coconut.

Ensure that the coconut is finely grated and not chunky or having larger shreds.

12. Combine and mix very well with the rest of the fried spices and herbs.

13. Sauté the coconut on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. The coconut can be sautéed until it gets a creamish or a faint, pale beige color.

Make Coconut Rice

14. Lastly, add the steamed cooled rice and salt according to your taste.

15. Mix the rice very well and turn off the heat.

16. Serve Coconut Rice hot or warm.

If you like, you can garnish with chopped coriander leaves and drizzle with a bit of ghee while serving. You can also choose to drizzle some lemon juice on the rice while eating.

Serving and Storing Suggestions

You can serve Coconut Rice as is or pair with a gravy or curry like Vegetable Stew, Potato Roast, Vegetable Kurma, Cauliflower Kurma or even with plain homemade fresh Curd.

In the pictures on this post, I have served the Coconut Rice with a spicy South Indian Potato Kurma. I also like to pair this rice with the Kerala style Parippu Kari (moong lentils curry).

For a really flavorful and wholesome meal, I recommend pairing a South Indian vegetable gravy or curry with the rice. Accompany some papadum (appalam), if you like.

Since this is a coconut-based rice dish, it is best had fresh. I do not recommend to store this Coconut Rice in the refrigerator, as then the chances of the coconut going rancid are very high. Moreover, it is best to eat rice when freshly cooked.

Expert Tips

1. Rice: Any short-grained or medium-grained rice works well in this recipe. But make sure that whichever rice you use, it is non-sticky. Fragrant basmati rice is another option to make this delish dish. Most non-sticky varieties of Indian rice can be used here.
2. Lumpy rice: If your rice grains have cooked a tad more and have become lumpy on cooling, do not worry. Simply break the lumps in the cooked rice.
3. Coconut: I highly recommend to include fresh grated coconut for the best flavor. Frozen coconut is the next option. Ensure that the frozen coconut smells good and is not rancid. Including unsweetened desiccated coconut won’t give a better taste as compared to the rice made with fresh coconut.
4. Lentils: The fried toasty lentils add a nutty flavor to the dish and impart a nice crunch. Skip them, if you do not prefer or do not have them in your kitchen.
5. Herbs: Curry leaves imparts plenty of flavor in this recipe. So, curry leaves are an essential ingredient and cannot be swapped or substituted with any other herb or spice. If fresh curry leaves are not available, use curry leaves powder. Add about ½ to 1 teaspoon of ground curry leaves powder.
6. Nuts: I like to add cashews, but you can swap it with peanuts. Skip these nuts, if you are out of stock or don’t have it at home.

This Coconut Rice recipe from the blog archives first published in Jun 2015 has been republished and updated on March 2023.