Laban and coconut milk rice is a delicious take on the already delicious south Indian curd rice recipe. Here cooked rice is mixed with laban (buttermilk of the Arab world) and coconut milk and then a hot tempering with coconut oil and tadka ingredients is done. A fabulous recipe to use leftover rice that can be had any time of the day.
Ragee has reached new milestones - she can now jump a certain height without help which means she can get onto my kitchen counter, dressing table, and even our dining table. She finds tissue paper tasty, yarns are edible, and my just moisturised face is for her to lick! And to talk about the "after playtime mess" she creates, I am left wondering why to tidy up at all. But the moment F is home, she is the best-behaved kitten! How prudent!
But I still adore her. My Ragee chukudu...kutttapi
About today's recipe, I was in a dilemma about sharing it because of the two kinds of milk that are used in making this rice dish. To be honest, I wanted to make our usual curd rice but an idea can come to you in the most unexpected time and way, isn't it? and it is up to us whether to implement it right away or think of trying it later (and forget it too), or make a note of it somewhere (which never happens)! So I chose to take the plunge and add coconut milk and laban (buttermilk) instead of yoghurt. I am glad I did that because we got a very silky simple meal that was so easy to eat too!
I made this laban and coconut milk rice during the new year's eve weekend and ever since have been trying to find if this concoction is even viable. There is not a single article about this combination on Google and nor did some of my foodie friends know any... so I guess I am the first one to at least publish a recipe for Coconut milk and Buttermilk rice!
All the tricks and tips for making curd rice are applicable for this Coconut milk and Buttermilk rice too! For the newbies, we will add more water than required for cooking the rice and bring all the milk to room temperature before adding it to the cooled rice.
Laban or Buttermilk & Coconut Milk Rice
Yields: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
Pressure cook
⅓ cup basmati rice (or any long grain)
1 cup Water
Salt to taste
Other items
⅓ cup laban (buttermilk) at room temperature
⅓ cup coconut milk or water
⅓ cup laban (buttermilk) at room temperature
⅓ cup coconut milk or water
¼ cup water, room temperature
For Tempering:
½ tablespoon coconut oil
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon chana dal (split chickpeas)
¼ teaspoon urad dal
2 green chillies, chopped finely
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 dried red chillies
a few curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetidaTo Garnish
Pomegranate (optional)
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon chana dal (split chickpeas)
¼ teaspoon urad dal
2 green chillies, chopped finely
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 dried red chillies
a few curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetidaTo Garnish
Pomegranate (optional)
METHOD
Prepare the rice
- Wash and pressure cook the rice with water for 3 to 4 whistles and switch off.
- Let the pressure settle on its own while you prep the other ingredients
- Open the cooker and lightly mash the cooked rice and let it cool a bit.
Add the other items
- While still warm, mix in the water
- Add all the milk items and combine well
Temper and season
- Heat oil in a pan
- Add the mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal and let them splutter
- Add the green chillies, curry leaves, red chillies, and asafoetida and fry for a couple of seconds.
- Transfer it to the curd rice and mix well.
- Stir in some pomegranate arils and serve as is or with some pickle or some veggies stir-fried, etc. You can add more fruits like grapes and mangoes and have it like a salad from a bowl!
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