Coconut Rice / Thengai Saatham

Having been brought up near the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border, it is no surprise that we used to add coconut virtually in every dish possible. The simplest and most obvious of them is the Coconut rice. During my school days, my mom used to prepare the coconut rice early in the morning and pack it along with some pickles as my lunch box. It was yummy and filling. You can add cashews and channa dal by slightly roasting it to add a rich taste to the final product.

Revathi’s recipe is the most common one and definitely a must make one. You can also try a slightly different version by adding elaichi, cardamom and cinnamon mixture with grated coconut, cumin seeds and cashews.

People living outside India may find it difficult to get fresh coconut and may be used to frozen grated coconut. I make it a point to make use of fresh coconut whenever available and use the frozen version in less important dishes.

I would like to add a line of warning here for weight watchers. Coconut contains high saturated fat and you may have to restrict yourselves from having coconut dish often.


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Egg curry with Coconut / Egg Kurma / Egg Rassa

Egg kurma and chappathi are a favorite combination for a lot especially the ones from southern India. Gravies usually occupy the place of stir fry vegetables as a combination for rotis in South Indian meals. Many vegetarians still love egg and adding egg to the recipe makes a dish special, though the preparation would be simple. If you do not eat egg, it can be replaced with vegetables and usually potato and cauliflower is an excellent combination. Half a tomato can be chopped into small pieces and added along with the eggs. The boiled chunk of tomatoes along with the eggs and curry is a perfect combination. Enjoy egg kurma with rice or roti.





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Coconut Sammanthi / Coconut Chutney(Without Dalia or Roasted Channa Dal)

Grated coconut with chillies makes a spicy dip for most of the Indian snacks or any breakfast dish. This is a very common Kerala dish which serves as an accompaniment to wide variety of dishes like Idlis/Idlys , Dosas , Chitranna, Vangi Bath, Khichiddi, Pongal to name a few. This is a slight variation of the traditional Coconut Chutney made with Dalia and other spices. The taste of fresh coconut, curry leaves and hing, leaves behind an intoxicating feeling on your tongue. Serve coconut sammanthi with hot steamed Idli/Idly or Dosa.


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Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal (Dried Peas cooked with Mango and Coconut)

An evening at beach with a packet of sundal, is the idea of many in Chennai for a relaxation on Sunday. The preparation of this recipe at home has been described in a very simple way. The recipe can be made colorful by garnishing with grated carrot, beetroot, coriander, red onions and mango. Enjoy the healthy oil less snack at home with a cup of tea or tomato soup.


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Kathirikaai kara kuzhambu/ ennai kathirikai kuzhambu

This is an authentic South Indian recipe and especially famous in TamilNadu. This excellent recipe of ennai kathrikaai kuzhambu is made without tomatoes. You can make a slight variation to this, by adding a diced medium sized tomato along while the onions are sauted. After that follow the same exact procedure. But if you are too lazy to make a separate paste of the coconut you can grind it along with the tomatoes and onion mixture. Enjoy it with hot steamed rice and pappad.

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Kozhi varatiyathu/Chicken stir fry

Excellent recipe for chicken with coconut. The shallot onions is a key ingredient to give the recipe it's taste. The lemon juice added at the end helps to get rid of the smell. If you are a good fan of pepper chicken add a bit of freshly ground pepper along with the shallots. Enjoy the recipe with rice and rasam or as an appetizer.



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Coconut - Nariyal - Thengaai

Fruit of the coco palm (Cocos nucifera), a tree widely distributed through tropical regions. The seed is peculiarly adapted to dispersal by water because the large pod holding the nut is buoyant and impervious to moisture. The trees therefore establish themselves naturally on small islands and low shores bordering the tropical seas. The tree grows to a height of 60—100 ft (18—30 m), with a smooth cylindrical stem marked by the ringlike scars of former leaves. It bears at the top a crown of frondlike leaves and yellow or white blossoms.



The number of nuts varies; a well-cared-for tree may yield 75 to 200 or more annually. The mature fruit as it comes from the tree is encased in a thick, brown fibrous husk. The nut itself has a hard woody shell, with three round scars at one end; the embryo lies against the largest scar and emerges through it as a developing plant. Through this easily punctured spot the "milk" of the young coconut may be drained.

Coconut Recipes

Coconut Rice
Red Coconut Chutney
Coconut Burfi
Mango Coconut Pulihora
Thengai Chutney