Coconut Rice and Green Beans Curry

Date: 2/19/2011
By Suganya Chandrasekaran

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

• Frozen Shredded Coconut
  
• Mustard Seeds
  
• Channa dal (also called Split Gram or Chickpeas dal)
  
• Curry Leaves
  
• Cilantro
  
• Green Chilies
  
• Red Chilies
  
• Cooked Rice
  
• Oil for cooking (I use VIRGIN coconut oil for cooking)
  
• Salt to taste

Method

• Cook rice and keep it aside
  
• Pour oil in a pan and heat it
  
• Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds.
  
• Wait for the mustard seeds splatter and then add curry leaves, channa dal, red chilies, and green chilies.
  
• Add the frozen shredded coconut from the pack
  
• Keep sautéing the coconut – it should NOT turn brown or golden (if you think the pan is too much heated, switch off the stove and sauté)
  
• Add Salt to taste to the rice
  
• Add the sautéed coconut mix and mix the rice well
  
• Chop cilantro and add it as seasoning on top of the rice
  
• Coconut rice ready!!

Some Notes:
* Rice = I suggest one and half cup of water for one cup of rice so that the rice cooked is not sticky
* Using both Green and Red chilies will give a different flavor to the food
* You can skip either of them & use just one chili type if you do not want it spicy
* Do not cut the garlic as it will not give you flavor to the food – so crush the cloves
* Frozen Shredded Coconut - you will get it in the Indian stores

Green Beans Curry (Kid Friendly)

Cooking time – 10 mins

Ingredients:

• Cumin Seeds
  
• Mustard Seeds
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Garlic – Separate the cloves, leave some skin on them and then crush the cloves
• (One whole for one pack of beans)
  
• Oil for cooking (I use VIRGIN coconut oil for cooking)
  
• French Cut Beans Frozen
  
• Frozen Shredded Coconut

Method:

• Pour oil in a pan and heat it
  
• Once the oil is heated, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and wait for the mustard seeds to splatter and the cumin seeds to turn light brown
  
• Now add the crushed garlic cloves, all of them
  
• Once the garlic turns golden brown, add the green beans from the pack, salt to taste and close the lid and cook it in medium heat only
  
• Keep checking on the beans every few minutes and cook until they turn from bring light green to dark (the color changes from when you took the beans out to now)
  
• Now, remove the lid completely and increase the flame a little bit (between medium and high) and keep frying for 5 mins
  
• Add frozen coconut to the beans, keep sautéing for another 2-3 mins
  
• Your beans is done in a total of 10 mins

Some Notes:
* You can use the same recipe and instead of Green Beans, you could use the following: Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Tindora (frozen)
* Do not cut the garlic as it will not give you flavor to the food – so crush the cloves
* Frozen Shredded Coconut - you will get it in the Indian stores
* French Cut Beans Frozen (you will get this in any cub, rainbow – make sure “French Cut” style for added taste)