Peanut Rice / Verkadalai Sadham - Easy Lunch Box Recipes!

I mostly prefer quick fix meal or some simple rice recipes for lunch. This peanut rice is one such quick simple meal that needs only few ingredients and and also an easy way to finish off some left over rice. This Peanut rice doesn't need any great side dish. Just a chips/Papad/Fryums is enough. Like other variety rices, this Peanut rice comes in rescue on some or lazy weekdays lunch. Since I love peanuts in any form, I used to add peanuts in most of my variety rices, upma and in all possible dishes. There are tons of variety rice recipes and different methods of Peanut rice, this is my convenient method with fresh coconut touch. Very flavorful and delicious rice, some fryums or papads with a bowl of peanut rice is enough for a happy & satisfying meal.

Preparation Time : 10-12 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Serves   2-3

Ingredients

1. Cooked Rice    2 cups(Sona masoori or Basmati Rice)
2. Raw Peanuts   1/2 cup
3. Dry Red Chilli   3 or 4 no.s
4. Curry leaves    1 sprig or few
5. Chana Dal/Kadala Paruppu   1 tsp

To Temper

1. Oil/Sesame oil     2-3 tsp
2. Mustard seeds   1/4 tsp
3. Urad dal    1 tsp
4. Peanuts    1 tbsp
5. Curry leaves    few
6. Hing/Asafoetida   a pinch
7. Shredded coconut   1 tbsp (fresh or frozen)
8. Salt    to taste

Method

• Heat a pan, dry roast peanuts in medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until it turns golden brown and raw smell leaves and then transfer it to plate and keep aside.

• To the same pan, add few drops of oil heat it, then add curry leaves, dry red chilli, chana dal and roast for 1-2 minutes.
• After that allow this to cool for a while, then in a blender first add roasted red chilli, chana dal, curry leaves and blend it to a coarse powder.

• Then to it add roasted peanuts and pulse for few seconds, no need to blend it to a fine powder. Just pulse for few seconds.
• Now the peanut powder/podi is ready and start preparing the rice.
• Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add the other tempering ingredients one by one and fry till dal and peanuts turn golden brown.

• After that add shredded coconut and stir for 1-2 minutes and switch off the stove.
• Then add cooked rice, enough salt and peanut podi and combine the coconut-podi mixture well with the rice.
• Check for salt, if you feel it dry then add little more podi or if it spicy then add few drops of sesame oil and mix it.
• That's it...Tasty Peanut Rice ready.

Notes
If you have left over peanut podi, store it in an air tight container and use it later. It stays fresh for a week or more.
If you have dry or desiccated coconut roast it with chana dal-curry leaves and grind it along with other ingredients.
But Mr.V doesn't like adding coconut in podi, so i roasted & mixed it with rice.
For lunch box please use freshly cooked rice, if using left over rice serve it immediately.
Here i used left over rice but it can also be done with freshly cooked rice.

This is off to Priya's  Vegan Thursday Event.