Thengai sadam, coconut rice is a simple south Indian variety rice with a burst of flavors from fresh coconut and coconut oil. Learn how to make thengai sadam with goodness of urad dal.
My brother is a big fan of thengai sadam that my mom makes, I too just love it.
It's very flavorful and simple to make too. Mom adds lots of soaked, roasted urad dal to this rice, which makes it protein rich.
Always the roasted urad dal and coconut is a winning combo, just like in coconut thogayal.
Recently I tasted coconut rice in a restaurant at Kerala, which is the very first time I tasted coconut rice other than mom's.
It had lots of light coconut oil, topped with cashew nuts. Using edible coconut oil or ghee enhances the flavor of coconut rice (thengai sadam).
Amma adds green chilli in her coconut rice, I love it, but red chillies also add a great flavour if added along tempering with asafoetida.
Related read: How to make idli batter
Recipe card
Thengai sadam recipe | Coconut rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice
- ¼ cup Urad dal white
- ½ cup Coconut grated
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ghee
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil /ghee
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 6 cashew nuts
- 4 Green or red chilli
- 1 Curry leaves sprig
- Asafoetida a generous pinch
Instructions
- Cook rice with ratio 1:2 (adjust the water ratio according to the rice variety you use for 3 – 4 whistles.
- Add a teaspoon of ghee and required salt and fluff the rice.
- Soak urad dal for 1 hour, drain the water and dry roast it in a pan until its turns golden brown and nice aroma wafts.
- You can skip this step and add the urad dal while tempering too, but make sure to keep enough oil for tempering.
- Heat the pan with oil, temper with the items given under the ‘To temper’ table in order.
- Add the coconut and roasted urad dal and just give it a stir for ½ minute.
- Add cooked rice to it and mix well.
- Top with remaining ghee, drizzle with generous coconut oil as garnish.
Notes
- Roasting the urad dal well is a must, otherwise it will become chewy.
- Coconut oil is recommended as it lends a lot of flavour to the recipe. Make sure to use virgin coconut oil and use more without any guilt - 3 tablespoon for this recipe.
- Do not use hands for mixing as coconut rice tends to get spoiled easily. Make sure to roast coconut well, this prevents from spoiling soon.
- Also adding lots of oil prevents spoiling.
Stepwise photos
1. Cook rice firstly with ratio 1:2 (adjust the water ratio according to the rice variety you use) for 3 – 4 whistles. Once done, add a teaspoon of ghee and required salt. Then fluff the rice gently and set aside.
2. Soak urad dal for 1 hour, drain the water and dry roast it in a pan until its turns golden brown and nice aroma wafts
3. You can skip this step and add the urad dal while tempering too, but make sure to keep enough oil for tempering.
4. After that, heat the pan with oil, temper with the items given under the ‘To temper’ table in order.
5. Then add coconut and roasted urad dal and just give it a stir for ½ minute.
6. Finally, add cooked rice to it and mix well.
7. Top with remaining ghee, drizzle with generous coconut oil as garnish.
Enjoy the flavorful rice with vadavams or any tomato based tangy curry.
Ramya Bala
Yummy...with pickle super Yumm 😉
Divya Kudua
Wow..adding urad dal to rice is something new.Looks great and the first pic of rice in a ladle looks cute!
Mahi
Adding urad dhal is new to me! Easy lunch box recipe!
Sharmilee! :)
I luv coconut rice too...Urs look flavourful and tempting. We do the same way too except for we add green chillies and jeera. Lovely clicks Raji esp the first one pathute irukanum pola iruku 🙂
Rekha shoban
soaking urad dal is very interesting...nice flavour n yummy rice...perfect for lunchbox!
Prathibha
I love coconut rice..we too make this version but adding soaked urad dal in larger proportion is something that I never tried...loved the 1st click very much Raji...:)
Satrupa
Yummy and lovely clicks !!
Annapoorani
soaking urad dal and adding it is pretty new...I shall try it out and thanks for the yummy dish 🙂
lata raja
I add urad dhal, but not so much! you have me thinking of the aromatic flavour the dhal will add to this! Got to try!
Hari Chandana
Lovely and tempting recipe.. looks awesome dear.. Yummy !!
Indian Cuisine
Priya
Love coconut rice anytime,can survive for many days with this flavourful rice..
Priya Sreeram
super-yum looking rice !
Priti
Never tried making this ...looks yum
Nithya
I'm not a great fan of coconut. But your version is kind of different and interesting. Love that serving bowl(or is it a laddle) 😉 anyways looks very cute 🙂
Jaishree
My husband is a gr8 fan of thengai sadam. I too prepare in the same way. your looks delicious& tempting. Love the click:)
kaveri
Adding soaked urad dal is very new to me...coconut rice looks delicious
jeyashrisuresh
Wonderful and aromatic rice and nice presentation too.Love the addition of urad dal in more quantity
Hamaree Rasoi
I love preparing this coconut rice.Your's looking wonderful. And lovely clicks as usual
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Prathima Rao
A handful of ings to create this wonderful, aromatic rice!!! Loved it 🙂
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
Suja
FFlavorful and tempting rice..makes me hungry..
Ramya
I love coconut rice.:-) The crunchiness from roasted urud dal and slight sweetness fro coconut..It just irresistible!!Great clicks
Shanavi
adding soaked urad dal is new to me Raks, lookd delicious..
miri goes phishing!
that really looks so nice...i would just love to try this...:)
aipi
Love how each grain of rice stands nicely separated ~ the first click is wonderful!
US Masala
Purabi Naha
yummy coconut rice! I had a Tamil friend in my schooldays...her mom used to make yummy coconut rice...your dish reminds me of my childhood days! Excellent presentation!!
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Archana
Yummy. Excellent pictures and dish. Mu hubby will love it.
Vimitha Anand
Sp yummy and flavorful rice... Would be great with some mango pickle...
Anonymous
I love coconut rice but have never added urad dal . Will try like this next time.
Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal
wow, adding dal to it is a great twist, sounds superb !!!
S.Menaga
எனக்கும் தே.சாதம் ரொம்ப்ப்ப்ப்ப்ப பிடிக்கும்.உளுத்தம்பருப்பை இந்தளவுக்கு அதிகமா போட்டு ஊறவைத்து செய்ததில்லை.இப்படி செய்வதால் இன்னும் வாசனையா நல்லாயிருக்கும்.செய்துடவேண்டியதுதான்....
Divya Vikram
Love the wooden spoon. Thengai satham looks perfectly done!
Santosh Bangar
prepration and presentation are super
Sobha Shyam
simple, lovely and delicious rice, great presentation, very tempting one..
Ongoing Event at Good Food:
COOK IT HEALTHY:PROTEINicious
Swathi
Thengai sadam looks delicious I love them as amma makes more often.
Anonymous
So simple light and quick to make. Love the presentation too.
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divya
Lovely and tempting recipe.. looks awesome dear.. Yummy !!
GEETHA ACHAL
ரொம்ப அருமையாக இருக்கு ராஜி..
அம்மா இப்படி தான் செய்வாங்க....இத்துடன் வெங்காயமும் சேர்த்து கொள்வாங்க.ஆனால் நான் செய்ததில்லை...கண்டிப்பாக் செய்து பார்க்க வேண்டும்...
Aarthi
i love this
ANU
wow! beautiful plating!
Happy to follow you....
Drop into my space when time permits:
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Sanctified Spaces
Thats a good tip for urad dal.Not a big fan of thenga saadham ,but maybe this tip will make it taste better.Must try this.
Sushma Mallya
Looks delicious Raji ...I do it in differnt way soaking urad dal and frying is something v differnt ...It must have been v v flavourful:)
Suman Singh
Looks delicious and great pics!!
swapna
Never tried adding dhal....looks tempting!!
Anonymous
I love your karandi
Malar Gandhi
Beautiful click as usual...love it.
Please trail back to me at my new junction part II - http://www.kitchen-mantra.blogspot.com, for the latest updates.
sanjeeta kk
How lovely picture, Raji! Feel like making some right now.
Lite Bite
hemalata
Yummy dish and nice click.
♥LOVE2COOK♥
Feels so hungry right now...tummy is making so much noise! It wants your coconut rice dear!!! 😀
Rakesh Kumar
I am pure veg. My wife would like to learn from you.It seems to be delicious only.
I have followed your blog.
myfudo
Thai food has always been one of our Asian choice. This rice looks spicy and enticing.
Priya nic
Hi Raks, I wanted to write from long long time but couldn't finally got a right time, I have been blogging ur site from past 6 to 8 months and trying out various recipes,I must say every thing was super dooper hit. I tried varies sweets, paratha, rice varieties, kulambhu n especially cakes all were hit, have been trying different rice varities for my hubby for lunch box ,those were tasty.. Today tried thengai sadam that also was super tasty... U know I m very very big fan of ur site, I keep browsing ur site to try new dishes.. All have come out supper till now,, daily wen I login even before checking my mails or FB page I first login to ur site to check the new recipes wat u ve posted, gone crazy!! Sometimes I even think why she is not non vegetarian, if so I would have mastered in those dishes as well :((((( all the best hope to see lots n lots of dishes from your side... Good luck.
Meenal Ramanathan
hi raks
i tried ur thengai sadam today.it was very tasty.
i have one doubt.why should we soak and roast the urad dhal (it takes long time).
if we dry roast also we will get golden brown urad dhals.
will the the taste, texture differs
Raks anand
Yes my mom does the same so I follow it. That never changes colour still gives nice flavor and texture
Meenal Ramanathan
hi raks
i tasted after i prepared i was able to get crispyness of urad dhal.
but when i had for lunch all the urad dhals was chewy
can u help me to locate where i went wrong
garvam
Hi
Why can't tyhe urad dal be added with the tamper? With oil it will be well roasted right?
Raks anand
It will be hard to bite.
Thangalakshmi maharajan
Hi Raks!
I am a regular follower of ur blog!
Though it's a bit embarrassing , i couldnt stop myself from asking u about the wooden scoop..its so good,,,, pls tell me where u got it!!Sorry for being so silly and thanks in advance!
Raks anand
Thanks absolutely fine, you can ask. I got it from Tangs Singapore.
Subashini
Hi raji. .I came to this recipe link from aadi Peruku menu..I guess there is a mistake in the ingredients details. There is a section called "to roast and powder" in that..However in the method you have mentioned as "to temper"..can you please check and correct it...I am planning to make it for the festival...hope you don't mind pointing it out...Thanks. .
Raks anand
Thanks for pointing out. Will edit. It was a mistake when i edited something else
Subashini
Thanks raji..appreciate your prompt response..i tried your pulikachal recipe for aadi 18...the measurements and instructions were so perfect that the result was awesome...thnx again...
Saranya
I have already told you this Raks, you & my mother share the same name 'Raji'. When it comes to cooking, both the Rajis are dictionaries for me (you for Tambrahm style & my mom for her Palakkad cuisines). So, the other day (Aadi perukku), I wanted to make coconut rice and having never tried it yet was scared. It was too early in the morning to disturb my mother so I came to where else! My Raks kitchen. Please don't have any doubts about the result. You make the most average cooks do great stuff with your simple and standard ingredients, measurements, steps.
My daughter is only seven months old, but when she starts cooking some day, I will definitely tell her, "Hey girl, get to Raks & the rest will be a piece of cake just as it was for your mom when she was newly married and took baby steps into the room called kitchen".
Keep Rocking Raks 🙂 And, thank you from the bottom of my heart
Raks anand
Thanks a lot Saranya 🙂 🙂 Make me feel so content when I read your comment, that I am doing something useful :')
Uma Thangaraj
Tried this today.. turned out very nice .thanks for the recipe raks
Raks Anand
Thank you so much 🙂