Coconut Milk Pulav / Thenga Paal Sadham (Gluten Free)

What is Thenga Paal Sadham?

Thenga Paal Sadham literally translates to coconut Milk rice. As the name goes it’s rice cooked with coconut milk. It’s mildly flavored with spices and delicious just by itself or some delicious curry on the side. An easy and great vegan rice option.

This used to be the rice in my lunch box quite often. My lunch boxes were pretty popular with my friends on the days mom sent me these flavored rice lunches.
I send these as lunch for my kids too, without the cashew nuts as their school is nut free, and they love it ! They are quick to cook in the mornings and taste good as left overs the next day to pack as lunch too. 

A very simple straightforward recipe that can be cooked in instant pot, stove top or pressure cooker. The recipe remains the same for all the options. If cooking in instant pot, set the pressure at manual, high for 5 minutes instead of the rice setting. On stove top just cover and cook till the rice is cooked.

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Coconut Milk Pulav / Thenga Paal Sadham

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 0

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Long grain Basmati rice wash and drain the water and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes
• 2 tbsps Ghee clarified butter (any oil for vegan)
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds
• 1 Small cinnamon
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2-3 Green cardamom
• 2 Cloves
• 1 Star anise optional
• 1/2 Onion sliced lengthwise
• 3-4 Green chillies split lengthwise (optional )
• 10 Garlic pods
• 1 cup Thick coconut milk canned
• 3 cups Water
• 1.5 tsp Salt
• A handful of cashew nuts
• A few chopped mint leaves for garnishing optional

Instructions

 

• Heat up the oil in the pressure cooker, Insta pot insert or a sauce pan
• Add the cashews and fry till golden, remove and reserve for later( I forgot to do this so fried them later with onions and removed them and reserved for later)
• Add the spices – fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and bay leaf, let them bloom
• Add the onion and let it brown slightly
• Add the garlic pods and the split green chillies and saute
• Add the rice and gently mix to coat the rice with the ghee
• Add 3 cups of the water and salt and give it a gentle mix
• Add the coconut milk gently in the center and don’t mix. Mixing it may burn the rice at the bottom.
• Close the lid and let it cook for one whistle only in the pressure cooker, 5 minutes on manual in instant pot and till the rice cooks on stove top.
• Garnish with the fried cashews and chopped mint leaves.

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