Thengai paal sadam recipe, Coconut milk rice

Thengai paal sadam or coconut milk rice or, packed with flavours, cooked in masalas and coconut milk.

I have tried a similar ones few months back, but it was too heavy for me. I thought I would try again and alter the recipe to post, but did not try.

Got this thengai paal sadam recipe from a reader friend (Rama Sindhia). When she sent a picture for my tried tasted album, I liked her rice very much. So asked her the recipe.

She was sweet enough to send me the recipe soon. Today I tried her thengai paal sadam and loved the flavors a lot.

I could not follow the exact method, the original recipe calls for, but I used all the ingredients same to recreate the flavour.

Had it with mixed vegetable kurma and it was really good.

My notes

Before starting making, for any pulao/ biryani and rice varieties like this, how to get the grains perfectly, not too dry, no burnt bottom or mushy rice? Here are some general tips I want to share which I learnt:

• Soak rice before cooking. Minimum 10 to 30 mins.
• Burnt bottom or too dry means, you are using less water for the rice variety you are using as well as high flame.
• Why my biryani/ pulao turns mushy?  Mushy rice means, you are either cooking with more water or cooking time is more. 
• If you add more water, obviously you will end up in more cooking time for all the water to be absorbed, which results in mushy rice. Both whistle method or slow cooking method.
• So how to avoid this and get best results always?
  For whistle method :
  Add rice only after water starts boiling. Or side by side, boil water and add to the rice inside cooker. Bring to boil again and close the pressure cooker. Cook in high flame until first whistle comes, then for second whistle, let the flame be medium. For this method, water quantity needed is slightly more than slow cooking method, depends on the rice variety too. Approximately, 1 & ¾ cup - 2 cups for a cup of rice.
  For slow cooking method:
  This is the method I always follow for all my biryani or pulaos. I use 1 & ½ cup water for 1 cup rice. Once water boils, I add rice and cook almost ¾th in high flame. Hardly takes 2 mins since water boils. Then cook covered  for 12-14 mins, with pressure valve (no whistles are supposed to blow). 
• Stick to same brand of rice, use good quality of rice. Experiment and settle which one works for you best.
• Even though I have written the points, experiment with what works for you. Because, it depends on the rice variety, stove you use, cooker you use. The rice, heat and vessel everything matters. 

Instructions

1. Soak basmati rice for 10 minutes. Grind the items under ‘To grind’ table with little water to a smooth paste.

2. Extract coconut milk by grinding coconut with lukewarm water.

3. Squeeze and strain the coconut milk. Measure and keep aside. Heat a small pressure cooker with ghee. Fry onion and green chilli for just until onion just turns transparent.

4. Add the ground paste and fry until ghee separates and raw smell goes off.

5. After that add tomato and little salt. Fry until soft. Add rice and fry for a minute. 

6. Add coriander leaves, salt and mix well. Pour in the coconut milk and water, so that all together you add 2 cups liquid.

7. Bring to boil and mix well. Close with the lid and put the flame to low. Cook in sim for 14 mins or give 2 whistles in medium flame (refer notes). Once done, give a gentle stir to fluff the rice.

Serve hot with any kurma, we had with mixed vegetable kurma. You can try with tomato kurma too.

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5 from 1 vote

Thengai paal sadam recipe

Thengai paal sadam, packed with flavours, cooked in masalas and coconut milk. A south Indian style flavorful variety rice for weekends.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 3

1x2x3x

Cup measurements

Ingredients

• 1 & ½ cup Basmati rice
• 1 Onion sliced
• 1 Green chilli slit
• ½ Tomato
• 1 cup Coconut
• 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon Ghee

To grind

• 5 Cashew nuts
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 1 inch Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds Soambu
• 1 Cardamom
• 1 Clove
• ½ Star anise

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Instructions

• Soak basmati rice for 10 minutes. Grind the items under ‘To grind’ table with little water to a smooth paste.
• Extract coconut milk by grinding coconut with lukewarm water.
• Squeeze and strain the coconut milk. Measure and keep aside.
• Heat a small pressure cooker with ghee. Fry onion and green chilli for just until onion just turns transparent.
• Add the ground paste and fry until ghee separates and raw smell goes off.
• In goes tomato and little salt. Fry until soft. Add rice and fry for a minute.
• Add coriander leaves, salt and mix well.
• Pour in the coconut milk and water, so that all together you add 2 cups liquid.
• Bring to boil and mix well. Close with the lid and put the flame to low.
• Cook in sim for 14 mins or give 2 whistles in medium flame (refer notes).
• Once done, give a gentle stir to fluff the rice.

Notes

• You can reduce the coconut milk by using ¾ cup coconut too.
• I can put my flame to really lowest flame. If you can't, just leave for two whistles in medium flame. But you may need to add ¼ cup more water.

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