Coconut Rice
Coconut rice is a South Indian side that turns plain cooked rice into something worth putting on the table by itself. The seasoning is built in a pan: mustard seeds popped in oil, then coconut, chiles, curry leaves, chana dhal and cashews toasted until golden. Because the rice is cooked separately and cooled, the grains stay light and separate when the toasted mixture is folded through.
Instructions
Put the oil and mustard seeds in a sauté pan, cover it, and set it over heat. The covering matters because the seeds will jump out as they pop.
Wait until the popping dies down and the pan goes quiet. That tells you the seeds have released their flavor into the oil.
Add the coconut, dry red chiles, curry leaves, chana dhal, cashews and salt to the pan. Stir them in the hot oil.
Toast the mixture lightly until the coconut and cashews turn golden. Take the pan off the heat as soon as they reach that color, since coconut darkens quickly.
Tip the toasted seasonings over the cooked, cooled rice. Mix well so the coconut and spices are spread through the grains, then serve.
Make it personal.
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