Cilantro Rice/Coriander Rice/Kothamalli Sadam

 Cilantro Rice/Coriander Rice/Kothamalli Sadam

Ingredients

1. Coriander leaves/Cilantro/Kothamalli - 2 cups

2. Green chillies - 4

3. Red Onion - 1/4 of a big onion or shallots - 5 , 1/4 piece of red onion chooped into fine pieces

4. Garlic pod - 1

5. Cloves - 1

6. Cinnamon - 1 small piece

7. Mustard - 1/4 tea spoon

8. Cooking oil - 2 spoons

9. Tamarind piece - 1 small piece(about 1/2 inch)

10. Butter - 1/2 spoon (optional)

11. Rice - 1 cup ( Basmati rice preferable. Par-boiled or any other flavour that you prefer can be used as well)

12. Water for cooking rice -  1.5 cups if basmati rice or  2 cups if other varieties of rice.

13. Salt - 1 tea spoon for cilantro mixture , 1/2 tea spoon for cooking rice
14. Dry Red chillies - 3

Cooking Rice

1. Wash the rice well and soak it for 10 minutes.

2. After this, cook the rice well with required amount of water (1.5 cups of water if basmati rice or 2 cups for other varieties of rice) and 1/2 tea spoon of salt and 1 tea spoon of oil.

3. Adding oil will ensure that the rice strands do not stick to each other.

4. In cooking in pressure cooker, just allow 2 whistles and turn off stove. Allow pressure to automatically reduce. Once the rice is cooked well, then spread the rice on a plate gently and allow the rice to cool down.

Procedure

1. Wash the cilantro/coriander leaves/kothamalli thoroughly.

2. Grind the cilantro, green chillies, 1/4 of red onion red or shallots, garlic and tamarind piece together, in a mixer grinder along with water.

3. When the mixture is of thick consistency remove it and keep aside.

4. In a wide wok, heat 2 tea spoons of cooking oil and add cinnamon and clove and mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.Add the dry red chillies as well. Add onion and sauté till they turn golden brown.

5. Once the mustard splutter, add the ground cilantro mixture to it , add 1 flat tea spoon of salt and fry the mixture till it cooks well and the raw smell goes off. One of the indications that it has got cooked well is that the mixture would turn colour to dark green.

6. At this stage, add half spoon of butter. This gives a nice flavour. This is an optional ingredient. Adding this would reduce the chilli's pungent or hot effect.

7. Now keep adding the rice slowly and mix the cilantro mixture with the rice gently without breaking the rice strands. Continue this till all the rice gets mixed well with the cilantro mixture.

8. Taste the rice if salt is  in it and sprinkle salt if required.

9. Simmer the stove (reduce the flame) and keep the wok closed with a lid for around 3-4 minutes and turn off the stove.

Yummy cilantro/coriander rice/kothamalli sadam is ready. Serve hot with potato fry / fryums/ papadam/pickles. Happy cooking and Happy eating !