Koththimira Annam ~ Cilantro Rice

Cilantro / fresh coriander leaves with that lovely, magical fragrance play a dominant role in our Indian kitchens. They are used to garnish every possible dish. Most of the North Indian snacks would be a dull deal without the famous green chutney, prepared using fresh, green cilantro leaves. In Andhra, we have an equal counterpart to green chutney, koththimira karam which goes well with rice.(Koththimira, the Telugu word for the cilantro and karam means hot).

I was familiar with all those things said above, but not in a rice dish, that too, as a primary ingredient. Recently, I heard about this cilantro rice dish and got the recipe from my husband's niece. I was hesitant because of the quantity of cilantro used in the dish, though I love the leaves and use it liberally in my kitchen. My SIL who had tasted it earlier convinced me that it's worth trying. She was not wrong. An easy, delicious dish which is going to be a crowd pleaser, for sure.

Ingredients:
Rice (preferably sona masuri) - 1 cup
Bunches of cilantro (medium sized ones) - 2
Cloves - 6
Red Chillies - 6

Ginger grated - 1 tsp
Dry, grated coconut - 4 Tbsp
Cinnamon pieces (approximately one inch) - 6

Cashews (Optional)
Salt - Accordingly
Oil

Method:
Cook the rice.

Remove and collect the leaves from cilantro stalks.

Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the cilantro leaves for a couple of minutes till they are wilted.

Heat 1 or 2 tsp of oil and fry cashews till they turn golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and add ginger to the same oil and fry till it starts to turn golden brown. Then add cloves, cinnamon and chillies to it and fry them for a few seconds. Turn off the stove and let them cool.

Grind the fried cilantro leaves, coconut, cloves, cinnamon, chillies, ginger into a smooth paste.

I had to use a little quantity of water for grinding. So, I heated a tbsp of oil in a pan and fried this ground mixture for a few minutes (less than 5 minutes). Turn off the stove. Add the cooked rice, salt and fried cashews to the above cilantro mixture and stir so that the rice is coated well with the mixture.

Serve hot with some papads and yogurt.

This is my entry to Indira's JFI - Greens and Nandita's WBB, hosted by Indira of Mahanandi.

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