Prepare fluffy South Indian coconut rice, aka thengai sadam, for a quick yet flavourful side dish. I use dried shredded coconut rather than fresh to save time!
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published November 2015. I’ve added new images and made improvements to the recipe.
Ok, so usually I preach using fresh ingredients in all my recipes. Therefore, you wouldn’t be wrong in asking why I think dried coconut is a good substitute. The original South Indian recipe calls for fresh grated coconut.
I’ve tried this recipe with fresh coconut, and of course, the flavours are incredible. However, using dried shredded coconut actually comes pretty close to the original. It’s a lot easier and quicker to deal with, so that’s what I now use whenever I make it. Note that shredded coconut has longer grains than standard desiccated coconut!
As with many South Indian dishes – South Indian pineapple chutney and mogo 65 – this dish starts with a tempering of mustard seeds, dal and curry leaves.
The whole spices and fresh curry leaves do a lot of the heavy lifting and give amazing aroma to the dish overall.
It’s different to my coconut milk pulao which uses, you guessed it, coconut milk! It’s also all cooked directly in one pan.
If you want another South Indian rice recipe without the coconut flavour, ghee rice might be a better option.
Although this is a South Indian recipe, it’s mild flavour means it goes well with most Indian dishes. I had it with masoor dal and the flavours matched beautifully.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Indian Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups basmati rice cooked
- 3 tablesppon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- pinch hing
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1 tablespoon chana dal
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- ½ cup desiccated coconut soaked in warm water
- 3 tablespoon nuts in total – cashews and almonds
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in pan and sauté cashew and almonds until golden brown. Remove from the pan.
- In the same pan, add mustard seeds and hing.
- Tip in the chana dal and urad dal, dried red chillies and curry leaves.
- Once it’s all crackling, add the soaked desiccated coconut. Ensure any excess water is drained.
- Sauté for a minute then add in the cooked rice.
- Season with salt and add the toasted nuts back in.
- Mix everything together well and cook until the rice is hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Indian Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups basmati rice cooked
- 3 tablesppon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- pinch hing
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1 tablespoon chana dal
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- ½ cup desiccated coconut soaked in warm water
- 3 tablespoon nuts in total - cashews and almonds
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in pan and sauté cashew and almonds until golden brown. Remove from the pan.
- In the same pan, add mustard seeds and hing.
- Tip in the chana dal and urad dal, dried red chillies and curry leaves.
- Once it’s all crackling, add the soaked desiccated coconut. Ensure any excess water is drained.
- Sauté for a minute then add in the cooked rice.
- Season with salt and add the toasted nuts back in.
- Mix everything together well and cook until the rice is hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
My parwal nu shaak is made Gujarati style with basic spices, lemon juice and coconut. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes and can be served as part of an everyday Gujarati thali .
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published June 2016. I’ve added new images and made improvements to the recipe.
I go through phases where all I want for dinner is a homely Gujarati shaak , a piping bowl of Gujarati toor daal and Gujarati phulka rotli .
I’ll admit when I was little, I struggled to eat green shaak. But once I started cooking alongside my Mum, I got a better feel of the vegetables and cautiously started enjoying them!
The addition of coconut, sugar and lemon juice transforms the pointed gourd into a delicious sabji.
The Recipe Details
One thing I would definitely recommend is making this curry with freshly bought parwal. Indian grocery stores are quite for us and we often bulk buy a few fresh vegetables. The quality and freshness reduces pretty quickly and I’ve noticed this does affect the overall taste of the shaak.
If the parwal is nice and fresh, I like to keep the seeds. If it’s starting to get old or yellow I remove the seeds.
This recipe is named “sambharia” for two reasons. One, the pointed gourd is simply stir fried to retain the flavour. Secondly, sambharia dishes will typically include coconut and coriander.
The flavour comes from the tangy and sweet masala which is similar to a Gujarati bharwan masala .
As with many Gujarati stir fries, the parwal shaak is finished with sugar and lemon juice. The sugar isn’t really there to sweeten but complements the tanginess from the lemon.
Adding coconut and coriander leaves adds an extra layer of flavour and texture. We use desiccated coconut for ease but you could definitely use grated fresh coconut.
You’ll find many variations that add other vegetables like potatoes which can help bulk up the dish. I prefer to avoid adding them, and instead, prepare a separate bateta nu shaak .
It’s delicious with an authentic Gujarati kadhi on the side.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Parwal Nu Shaak
Ingredients
- 500 gram parwal
- 4 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing
- 1 tablespoon ginger chilli and ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin and coriander
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated coconut or desiccated
- 2-3 teaspoon coriander leaves
Instructions
- Wash the parwal and pat dry.
- Cut the parwal lengthwise into desired thickness.
- Heat oil in a kadai, and add cumin seeds.
- Once they crackle, add hing.
- After few seconds add cut parwal and mix well.
- Now add salt and all the masala, and mix.
- Cover the kadai with lid and lower the heat.
- Let the parwal cook in their own steam and stir couple of times to prevent the shaak burning.
- Cook until soft and tender.
- Add sugar, coconut and lemon juice and cook a couple of minutes more.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
