Coconut rice recipe is a flavorful, easy, and delicious dish that comes together very quickly, especially if you have precooked rice, and goes with almost everything! It’s a one-pot wonder, meaning less cleanup and more time to enjoy your meal.
The aroma of coconut rice sucks you in, and the flavor makes you go back. The quick recipe has the perfect fluff and fragrance to take any meal to 100! It’s not like coconut milk rice, which is sticky and gooey.
On days when my mind is blank and I have no idea what to make for lunch or dinner, I opt for rice cooked in coconut.
It's quick. It's handy, and it’s done in a few minutes. On days when you have unexpected guests over, a coconut rice recipe is precisely what you need to get bellies rumbling over its rich fragrance.
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WHY YOU’LL LOVE COCONUT RICE RECIPE
Ultimate versatile sidekick: it beautifully complements just about any dish.
Quick and easy to make, perfect for days when you’re short on time.
Basic, handful of ingredients, and an aroma that’s just magical
COCONUT RICE INGREDIENTS
Cooked, Cooled Rice
Split Chickpea Lentils
Mustard Seeds
Fresh-grated Coconut
Fresh Ginger and Green Chili
Curry Leaves
Cashews
Dry Red Chilies
Asafoetida
Salt
HOW TO MAKE COCONUT RICE?
The coconut rice recipe has a simple process.
To the warm ghee, add chana dal and mustard seeds. Once the chana dal turns a warm, golden color, sprinkle in some curry leaves, ginger, asafoetida, and a few red and green chilis.
Stir in the grated coconut, and then toss in the rice.
When you’re done, garnish with golden-brown roasted cashews and some more freshly grated coconut. The crunch of the cashew evens out the delicacy of the coconut.
If you can’t resist the pull of some extra texture and crispy topping, try sautéing the shredded coconut. Wait till it turns crisp and golden, and then garnish the dish with it.
RICE COCONUT RECIPE PRO TIPS
Soak the lentil (chana dal) in warm water for 10–15 minutes (longer if possible) before adding it to the tempering. It turns out crisper.
The key to the simple recipe is fresh coconut. Somehow, desiccated or dried coconut doesn’t taste the same. Believe me, you'll never turn back once you’ve tried the quick recipe with freshly grated coconut.
Sauté some of the grated coconut till golden and crisp. Sprinkle it on top of the rice before serving for an extra crispy topping.
WHAT TO SERVE THE COCONUT AND RICE RECIPE WITH?
Eat coconut rice as-is, and it’s a complete meal.
Serve it with vegetables or stew.
Or as a side to curry.
With sambhar, rasam, or spicy masala prawns, it's fantastic.
I prefer to have it with cool, thick, creamy homemade yogurt.
MORE QUICK RICE RECIPES
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this coconut rice recipe as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Coconut Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups Cooked rice, cooled
- 1 tbsp Ghee/ oil
- 2 tsp Chana dal ( split chickpea lentil)
- 1.5 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida / hing
- 2 Dry red chilies
- 1/2 inch Fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 Green chili, finely chopped
- 12-15 Curry leaves
- 12-15 Cashews
- 1/2 cup Fresh grated coconut
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat ghee or oil in a wide pan. Add the chana dal, mustard seeds and hing / asafoetida.
- Once the seeds start crackling add the ginger, curry leaves, cashews, and red chilies.
- Once the cashews are light golden in colour, stir in the coconut and green chillies. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Now add in the cooked rice and salt. Stir well and serve warm with raita, plain yogurt or any curry or dal of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- For an extra crispy topping, saute some grated coconut till its golden and crisp. Sprinkle on top of the rice before serving.
- I always like to soak my chana dal in warm water for 10-15 minutes 9 longer if possible) before adding it to the tempering. It turns out more crisp.
Easyfoodsmith says
Scrumptious!!!
Natasha Minocha says
Thanks Taruna!xx