Coconut Rice With Lentils And Cashew

Recipe Ingredients

1/2 lb	227g / 8oz	Basmati rice
1 tablespoon	15ml	Vegetable oil
1 teaspoon	5ml	Mustard seeds
1 teaspoon	5ml	Urad dhal or brown lentils
2		Dried red chiles
4		Fresh curry leaves
2 oz	56g	Fresh coconut - grated
1 oz	28g	Unsalted roasted cashews
		Salt and pepper
		Garnish:
		Fresh curry leaves
		Dried red chiles

Recipe Instructions

1. Put the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Bring 500 ml lightly salted water to the boil in a large pan. Add the rice, bring back to the boil and cook for 20 minutes. Drain and return to the pan, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.

2. In a small pan, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute until the seeds start to pop. Add the lentils, dried red chiles and curry leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils are golden. Stir in the coconut and cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Toss with the rice and nuts and spoon into a warmed serving dish. Garnish with fresh curry leaves and dried red chiles.

Recipes from "Rasa W1," Kerala Vegetarian Restaurant, 6 Dering St., London. Owners/chefs Das and Alison Sreedharan.

Start to Finish Time: 0:50

NOTE: It's nicer and more authentic to use fresh coconut but you can use unsweetened desiccated coconut if you can't find the real thing. Lentils are a very traditional ingredient used in Keralan cooking -- here they are used to add a nutty flavour and different texture to the rice. Urad dhal are black lentils, which can be quite difficult to find. You can use brown lentils instead.

Source:
Rasa W1, Kerala Vegetarian Restaurant, London

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