IT Café Online

Ingredients

1 cup long grain rice
1 cup coconut milk (refer note)
1 tbsp. broken cashew bits
3 green chillies slit
1 stalk curry leaves
1/2 tsp. each cumin and mustard seeds
1 tsp. urad dal
2 tbsp. grated fresh coconut
1 tbsp. coriander chopped
2 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
lemon to taste

Method

Wash and soak rice in salted water for 30 minutes. Drain rice in colander, keep water aside.

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Add urad dal, seeds, cashews, stir till spluttering.

Add chillies and curry leaves. Stir, add rice. Stir very gently, with a wide spatula till oil coats rice evenly.

Add coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups drained water. Add salt, keeping in mind the water was salted.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer covered. Stir occasionally. When done 3/4, add lemon.

Mix very gently. Simmer till done and all water evaporates. Add more water in between if required.

Garnish with coriander and coconut before serving. Serve hot with raita, kadhi or rasam.

Note: How to make coconut milk:

Soak 1 grated coconut in 2 1/2 cups water for 1 hour. Grind in a mixie using same water. Strain to extract the milk. Repeat process with the residue twice. Press out till residue is crumbly. Use milk as mentioned in recipes. Makes 3 cups milk.