India cilantro rice is super easy and very healthy, with step by step pictures and instructions. Its a very flavorful, one-pot dish.
The luscious green color of this Indian style cilantro rice tempts everyone. Simple raitha and papad are the best companions of this rice.
This recipe is the must-try one when the coriander leaves are in season. Another good part of this recipe is that it does not require long listing ingredients like Kashmiri pulao. The flavors of simple spices and with the exotic flavor of the basmati rice, this Indian cilantro rice tastes extremely well.
If you are looking for other rice varieties, you may check Szechuan Fried Rice, Simple Chitranna, Bok Choy Fried Rice.
Pro tips
- Heavy-bottomed pot is great for making this Indian cilantro rice. But if you want you can also use your regular pressure cooker for making this rice.
- Wash and rinse basmati rice before soaking, this ensures the basmati rice to be more flavorful
- Discard, a thick stalk of the coriander leaves, Its ok to add tender stalks which is also good for health, because of its fiber content.
- Adjust the green chilies according to your taste, and also according to the intensity of the chilies.
- Fried papad and raitha can be served as side dishes.
How to make Indian cilantro rice
Soak 1 cup of basmati rice in water for about 19-20 minutes.
Wash and clean one bunch of coriander leaves, two green chilies. Peel 2 garlic cloves and keep them ready.
In the mixer grinder jar, add all these three ingredients.
Grind it until it forms a smooth paste, and keep it aside(we need it in the later stage)
In the medium to slow flame heat heavy-bottomed pot over the stove. Add vegetable oil and ghee(clarified butter). Then add a small piece of bay leaf, 1 green cardamom, 1 clove, and 1 small cinnamon stick. Fry them until it becomes golden brown in color.
Now add 2-3 tbsp of broken cashew nuts and fry them until they turn golden brown in color.
Now add kept aside coriander paste mixture. And continue to saute them until it shrinks and leaves out its raw smell.
Add 2 cups of water.
When water is about to start boiling, add washed and rinsed basmati rice.
Once 80% of the rice cooked(Hint: 20% of the water would be remaining in the pot), Optionally, drizzle half a tbsp of ghee over the kothamalli sadam if you prefer.
And seal it with aluminum foil. And keep tawa/iron pan in between the pot and the stove. And cook it for 10 minutes in simmer flame. This is the simple and easy process of the dum method.
Let the pot cools down, remove the foil and serve Indian cilantro rice hot with raita, potato curry.
Indian cilantro rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup coriander Leaves
- 2 green chili
- 3 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 clove
- 1 cardamom
- 1 bay leaf small piece
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts
- 1 tsp salt or as required
- 2 cup water
Instructions
Prepping work
- Soak basmati rice in water for about 19-20 minutes. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
- Wash and clean coriander leaves, two green chilies. Peel garlic pods and keep these things ready.
- In the mixer grinder jar, add all these three ingredients
- Grind it until it forms a smooth paste, and keep it aside.
Cooking Instruction
- In medium to slow flame heat heavy bottomed pot over the stove.
- Add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and 1 tbsp of ghee.
- Then add small piece of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaf.
- Stir until it becomes golden brown in color.
- Now add the cashew nuts and fry them until they turn golden brown in color.
- Now add kept aside coriander paste mixture.
- And continue to stir them until it shrinks and leaves out its raw smell.
- Add water and bring it to boil.
- When water is about to start boiling, add washed and rinsed basmati rice.
- Once 80% of the rice cooked and seal it with aluminium foil.
- Keep tawa/iron pan in between the pot and the stove. And cook it for 10 minutes in simmer flame.
- Let the pot cools down, remove the foil and serve hot.
Nutrition
Tips and Variations for kothamalli sadam:
- For a slight variation, try adding a couple of sprigs of mint leaves. This does enhance the flavor and kothamalli sadam does taste absolutely different and delicious.
- Adding chopped ginger in the initial stage of frying makes the rice with a unique flavor.
- Wash and rinse the rice before soaking, this ensures the flavor intact with the rice.
- An easy and simple method of dum process is discussed here. There are multiple other methods that are also available and I personally find this is a more easier and convenient method.
- If you are planning to make in a pressure cooker, just replace the heavy-bottomed pot with pressure cooker. Close lid with the weight, only at the stage of 80% done or at Step 10.
- I have added little cashew nuts, but more cashew nuts and almonds can also be added, which also yields a very rich kothamalli sadam /rice.
Serving Suggestions for kothamalli sadam/Coriander Rice:
- Serve along with raitha, or a Cauliflower golden fry.
- Serve hot, the leftover can be a refrigerator in an airtight container, it stays good for about 4-5 days.
- This is a lunch recipe, and on occasions can be served for dinner as well.
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Dr. Becky
Thanks for the great rice recipe. I have the coriander and green chilies growing in my garden right now, so I’ll give this a try in a few weeks!
Sujatha Muralidhar
Sure and That’s great to hear! home grown always healthy and tasty as well.