Coconut Rice (Nucchi/ Kanee Phanna)

Coconut Rice is a very simple, coconut-rich recipe enjoyed by all in my family. Its a one pot meal and serves any meal plan and menu. In India, the rice which you get at local Kirana stores are anything ranging from long grain, short grain to short broken ones. This recipe calls for the use of the broken variety of rice (Kanee in Konkani). Mom painstakingly separated them with a Siever or Sifter (Channi) when we were kids to make this dish for us. Surprisingly, now you get them at local groceries in India as well and can be bought in bulk. This broken rice is known as Kanee in Konkani. I can't find broken rice here in Indian stores so used my stash of Sona Masoori rice for this recipe. Growing up, this was my favorite breakfast item. Its also a very portable food item for work, school or outdoor picnics.

This dish is popularly known as Nucchi or Kanee Phanna in GSB Konkani and Nucchi in Kannada. There are also variations in practice with respect to the seasoning and the variety of rice used. One can also add Peanuts (Kadale) for extra crunch, Chana Dal for enhanced texture. The entire seasoning is done with Coconut oil in the original recipe. Fenugreek seeds, the innocuous element in this recipe renders a unique aroma to the fluffy rice grains and is also soothing on the tummy. I prefer having a warm bowl of this seasoned rice with Raw Mango Pickle liqueur and a drizzle of warm Coconut oil.

~  Nucchi ~
Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

Broken Rice or any available variety - 1/2 cup

Grated coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/4 cup

Peanuts (optional) - 2 tablespoon

For Seasoning -

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 2-4

Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1/4 teaspoon

Urad Dal (split) - 1/2 teaspoon

Coconut oil

Green Chilli (split lengthwise) -2

Hot water - 1/4 less than 1 cup

Salt

Method:

In a deep dish non-sick pan, heat coconut oil. Once the oil is sizzling hot, temper with a seasoning of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add split urad dal, green chilli and peanuts. Saute on low flame. Add rice (pre-washed and rinsed) now and less than double the quantity of hot water [rice:water - 1: 1 and 1/2 proportion]. Add enough salt. Mix gently and bring to boil. Simmer on low flame for 20-25 minutes or till the rice gets cooked completely. Turn off flame and fluff it with a fork. Leave aside undisturbed for 5 minutes. Then, garnish with fresh coconut. Serve warm with pickle liqueur and a drizzle of coconut oil.