South Indian-Style Coconut Rice (20-Minute Recipe)
Published Apr 25, 2017, Updated Apr 23, 2025
10 CommentsThis vegan South-Indian style coconut rice recipe comes together in less than 20 minutes and makes the perfect meal for those busy days. It's also great to pack in your lunchbox.
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If you have some leftover rice lying in your fridge, then you can make this South Indian style Coconut Rice in 20 minutes or less! The rice gets tempered with freshly grated coconut, curry leaves, mustard seeds and ginger for that refreshing flavor. There’s minimal chopping involved to make this vegan friendly coconut rice.
Having cooked rice in the fridge has saved me at mealtimes more than I care to admit! While the tangy south Indian style lemon rice and cooling curd rice are some of my favorite dishes to make with leftover rice, this coconut rice is another favorite of mine which I make on days when I am too lazy to cook a meal.
This recipe has a simple tempering of curry leaves, ginger, mustard seeds which are commonly used ingredients in Indian cooking and more specifically in South Indian cooking.
Refreshing Coconut Rice in 20 Minutes!
As the name suggests, coconut is the star ingredient of this recipe. I recommend using fresh coconut for maximum flavor and freshness. You can make this recipe with frozen coconut as well since it’s more readily available in the US, but the rice recipe comes out better with freshly grated coconut.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- I have made this with basmati rice but jasmine rice or any other short grain rice works great as well.
- You should soak the urad and chana dal (if using) for 10 minutes before using in the recipe. They are softer when soaked and drained than when used directly in the recipe.
- It’s important to add some crunch to this recipe in my opinion so you can add peanuts of cashews. Both will work well, I prefer cashew in this recipe.
- This recipe is vegan and to make sure it’s gluten-free, use gluten-free hing (asafetida). Sometimes, the hing that you find at grocery stores has gluten in it.
- The spice levels can be adjusted to taste. If you prefer a spicier version, just add more of the chopped green chilies. When I say green chilies in context of Indian cooking , I am always referring to the thai green chilies.
Let’s Make Coconut Rice: South-Indian Style!
- Before you start, soak the urad dal and chana dal in water for 15 minutes and then drain them using a strainer. This is optional but the texture of the dals is better when soaked. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds to it and let it crackle. Add a pinch of hing/asafetida (optional) and then add chopped ginger & green chili and cook until the ginger starts changing its color.
- Then add the cashews, urad dal, chana dal and cook until they turn light golden brown in color. Also add the curry leaves and stir. Then add freshly grated coconut and mix. You can use shredded frozen coconut here as well.
- Stir well and cook the coconut for 1 minute. Finally add the cooked rice, along with salt and mix until everything is well combined. Remove pan from heat and serve coconut rice with a side of pickle and pappadum.
20-Minute Coconut Rice (South Indian-Style)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons urad dal soaked for 15 minutes
- 2 teaspoons chana dal soaked for 15 minutes
- 1 & ½ tablespoons oil I used avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- pinch hing optional, also known as asafetida
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 1-2 green chili finely chopped, adjust to taste
- 15 cashews whole, unroasted
- 6-7 curry leaves
- ¾ cup freshly grated coconut
- 3-4 cups cooked rice I used basmati rice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak 2 teaspoons each of urad and chana dal for 15 minutes in enough water in a small bowl. Then drain the water and set the dal aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds and let them crackle. Then add pinch of hing (optional) and stir.
- Then add 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and 1 to 2 chopped green chilies. Cook until the ginger starts changing color. Add 15 whole raw cashews, the soaked & drained chana and urad dal and 6 to 7 curry leaves. Cook until the cashews and the dals starts turning light golden brown in a color. This takes around 1 minute.
- Now, add ¾ cup of freshly shredded coconut (or use frozen coconut) and stir well. Cook for 1 minute.
- Toss in 3 to 4 cups of cooked rice and mix well very until everything is well combined and the rice is heated through. Serve coconut rice with pickle and enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How do you grate fresh coconut? I’m from East Africa and coconut cooking is very common there so needless to say anything coconut, I love
ps. Love your recipes
there’s a coconut grater that you get in India, else use frozen grated coconut. That works just fine as well! 🙂
Thank you Sabrina!
Coconut rice is one of my favorites. Definitely trying this dish! I love Indian food.
Hope you like it! 🙂
Anything with rice + anything with curry leaves = something I will love. Put together = bliss! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I know right? Thanks Cheyanne!
Thanks Anu!
Thank you Sarah!
rice and coconut is good too and rice isn’t that bad you know, just saying 😉