Thengai Paal Sadam | Coconut Milk Rice

Thengai Paal Sadam | Coconut Milk Rice is a Aromatic , Mildly flavored One Pot Rice. Easy To Make And The Rice Goes with Any Curries / Gravies. Easy To Follow Step By Step Pictures and Instructions.

I generally make this rice when I have spicy paneer gravy , chicken gravy especially like butter masalas , makhanis type – creamy curries. More than rotis or chappati AJ’s like to eat spicy gravies with jeera rice and ghee rice like this dish. Also the crunchiness with the cashew nuts and sweet flavor of the golden raisins in the recipe gives good flavor and texture to the rice dish.

Why Rice Is Cooked With Half Quantity Of Water and Half Coconut Milk?

I used half water and half coconut milk in this recipe. This ways the dish is balanced with coconut milk flavor and other spices. Adding full coconut milk without water, dish is basically very filling , overpowering with the coconut milk flavor. And more chances of food getting burnt in the bottom of the pan.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate immediately any leftover in a clean dry box . This Coconut Milk Rice stays good for 2 to 3 days.

When you are reheating , place the rice in bowl or plate and sprinkle some water and cover the bowl/plate with a lid and microwave on high for 4 to 5 minutes depending upon the quantity of the food. Sprinkling some water helps the rice to retain moisture and getting dry.

Making It Nuts Free ? 

Just skip the cashew nuts and raisins in the recipe.

Alternate For Basmati Rice 

Basmati Rice gives a good flavor to the dish, But you can alternate with any other rice variety likes brown rice , jasmine rice , sona masoori or any other rice of your choice . Adjust the water quantity depending upon the quality of the rice.

Sides Dishes

Any Dry or Semi Curries / Gravy can go with it. It can also be eaten with Raita

You can add veggies like carrots and fresh green peas and make it into a balanced meal . Just chopped the carrots into small cubes and add the carrots and peas before closing pressure cooking.

How To Make Thengai Paal Sadam – Step By Step Pictures 

Clean and Soak the basmati rice – Take Basamati rice in a bowl and rinse in cold water 2 to 3 times and soak in water for 10 minutes minimum. Rinsing and soaking rice several times in cold water removes starch content in rice. It does help the rice from becoming starchy and sticky during cooking process.

Take the other Ingredients– ghee , oil , green cardamom , clove , cinnamon stick, dry bay leaves , chopped onions , whole green chillies , golden raisins , cashew nuts , coconut milk , fresh yogurt,  water, lemon juice (forgot to include it in the picture). (You can adjust the quantity of the ingredients depending on the serving size on the Recipe Card).

Take the pressure cooker and add ghee /clarified butter and heat in low flame. Once the ghee is melted add raisins and cashew nuts and fry till they are golden and take them out from the ghee and set aside.

In the same cooker with remaining ghee add oil and heat in medium-low flame and once the oil is hot add bay leaf , cinnamon , cardamom , clove and green chillies and saute for a minute or two.Now add the chopped onions and fry till it is slightly golden.

Drain the water in the soaking basmati rice completely and add the rice to the pressure cooker with other ingredients and fry it for a two minutes.

Now Add coconut milk followed by yogurt , water , salt and lemon juice and stir well . Bring it to a boil and taste now for salt seasoning (It should taste LITTLE salty ). Finally add the fried cashew nuts and raisins too and close the lid of the pressure cooker with the gasket . Once you see the vapor coming out with the water from the pressure cooker , Then add the cooker weight and simmer the flame to low immediately for 10 minutes only ( do not wait for the whistle). Switch of the flame and let it stay rest on the stove for 10 more minutes.

Now open the lid and slowly fluff up the rice without breaking it. Serve Hot.