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These coconut dinner rolls aren’t just your average dinner rolls, they have an Indian culinary twist. They are soft because of coconut milk, savory with herbs and spices and topped with a mustard seed curry leaf tempering! Soyfree Nutfree.
Table of Contents
These fusion dinner rolls are made with coconut milk and are infused with flavorful Indian spices that’ll dazzle your taste buds! They are super soft, savory, a little sticky, and will be one of your new favorite things.
This particular recipe is perfect for busy days when you need a filling snack or an easy recipe for side to pair with your main entree. Just mix together your dough ingredients, let the dough double in size, divide dough into small balls, allow it to rise, and bake to perfection.
Serve these delicious coconut rolls with a mustard seed, curry leaf oil tempering just before serving. They will remind you of dhokla(steamed savory snack cakes) and are perfect served as a side instead of naan . Or, as a snack with vegan butter and mint chutney!
These easy rolls are simple to make and are a great place to start if you haven’t made your own dough before.
The coconut flavor combined with Indian spices make this soft dinner roll tasty enough on its own, but if you want to turn this dish into a complete meal, they pair wonderfully with my Vegan Chickpea Rice Soup, Chataka Dal, Vegan Malabar Curry with Veggies and Beans, or my Shahi Tofu Kofta Casserole!
More Vegan Bread Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Sweet Potato Rolls
- Everything Bagel Garlic Cheese Breadsticks
- Masala Paratha
- Pesto Pizza Rolls Recipe
Coconut Dinner Rolls With Mustard seed tadka
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup warmed full fat coconut milk(preferred) , or use oat milk or soy milk
- 2 teaspoons active yeast
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne, optional
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons shredded coconut, , omit for coconut free
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped onion, I use a mix of white and green onion
- ½ inch ginger minced
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds, optional
- 1-2 tablespoons hemp seeds or sesame seeds
- ¼ cup vegan cheese, shredded
For the Tempering (tadka)
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
Instructions
For the Dinner Rolls
- Warm up the non-dairy milk until it is warm to the touch, then add in oil. Add the yeast, then mix in.
- Add 1 cup of flour, mix in, and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add 2 cups of flour and the rest of the dry ingredients except for cheese in a bowl, and mix in really well.
- Then add all of the yeast mixture to the flour bowl and mix in. If the mixture is too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons flour at a time until the mixture comes together into a soft somewhat sticky dough. You don’t want it to be too sticky but also not too dry.
- Depending on the non-dairy milk, you’ll need a few tablespoons more flour or up to ½ cup more.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it sit in a warm place until it doubles in size, 40 to 60 mins depending on temperature.
- Once the dough has doubled, use some flour and lightly press and bring it together into a smooth ball. divide it into small balls. Grease a 9-inch pie dish really well, or line it with parchment, then place the dough balls in the pie dish.
- Optionally top these balls with vegan cheese. If not using cheese, then brush the top with some warm water.
- Then cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place, for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven at this time to 375°F.(190c)
- Then put the rolls for baking for 25 minutes. Start the broil for a minute or two at the end to brown the tops if needed.
- Then remove the rolls from the oven, and let them sit in the pie dish for a few minutes.
For the Tempering
- Meanwhile, make the tempering: Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium or high heat. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and wait for them to start popping then add the curry leaves and take off the heat.
- Drizzle the tempering all over the rolls. Squeeze some lime juice all over the rolls as well. If you don’t like it too limey, you can sprinkle some water. I usually sprinkle both the lime juice and some more water so that the rolls stay really moist.
- You can serve these as it is with some vegan butter or with some cilantro mint chutney on the side.
- Store on the counter for the day in a closed container. Refrigerate for upto 5 days
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but feel free to use gluten-free flour if needed.
- Spices: these coconut rolls have an Indian spice mixture made of turmeric, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Coconut milk: I recommend using full-fat coconut milk as it’ll give you richer, more flavorful rolls.
- Shredded coconut: adds a lot of great texture and flavor. If you don’t have it, you can omit it.
- Tempering: a mixture of mustard seeds, curry leaves, olive oil, and lime juice. Curry leaves are available in Indian stores or online. You can use fresh, frozen, or dried. Omit if you don’t have them.
How to Make Coconut Dinner Rolls
Start by adding the yeast and a little bit of oil to warm, light coconut milk. Then, mix in a 1 cup flour.
In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the bread dough. Start by mixing the flour and spices, then add in the aromatics and fresh cilantro.
Add the yeast mixture to the dry, and mix well.
If the mixture is too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time until it becomes a soft dough.
Next, cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow it to sit in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the temperature.
Once the dough has doubled, use some bread flour to roll the dough into one smooth ball. Then divide it and roll and shape dough into small balls.
Prepare your 9-inch pie dish by greasing or lining with parchment and place the balls of dough into the dish. Brush with some warm water. If you’d like, you can top your dough with vegan cheese.
Let the dough rise for about 15-20 minutes before placing it in the oven at 375°F (190c) for 25 minutes. Be sure to broil for a minute or two at the end to brown the tops!
While your coconut rolls bake, make the tempering by heating oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add mustard seeds and wait for them to start popping. Then add the curry leaves and take them off the heat.
Next, remove your soft rolls from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the tempering all over the rolls and finish with a squeeze of lime juice.
Serve and enjoy your delicious coconut rolls!
Tips for the Best Rolls
- Be Patient! Allowing your dough to rise to its full potential will bring more moisture to the dough, resulting in super soft rolls.
- Be sure to heat up your coconut milk before adding it to the flour, as it will help activate the yeast. If you forget, no worries! It’ll just take a little longer for your dough to rise.
- The amount of flour you need will depend on many factors. Start with 3 cups and add more flour if necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe can definitely be turned into a loaf. Just knead your bread as the recipe instructs, but leave out the part where you separate the dough and roll it into balls. Instead, place the whole lump of dough in a greased loaf pan. Then bake it for 20 minutes longer than the recipe suggests, checking it 30 minutes in to avoid overcooking it.
If your coconut rolls come out gummy, chances are that there was too much moisture for the flour. I you’ve already made the dough and you can tell it feels a little sticky, just add a bit more flour, a little at a time until it’s nice and soft.
To make these coconut rolls without oil, omit the oil and use a few tablespoons less flour. I suggest using light coconut milk or other slightly thicker higher fat non-dairy milk as a substitute. Skip the tempering
Yes! You can try these with my Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls.
These dinner rolls are the real thing! I loved how the house smelled even when preparing the dough. Easy to make and absolutely delicious, thanks so much for another great recipe, Richa! 🙂
so glad you enjoyed!
I feel a bit diffident about leaving a rating and comment, because I had to alter things quite a bit becausse I only wanted to use 1/2 cup of flour – and I always use wholewheat flour. I didn’t use any onion and can’t buy vegan cheese where I live. Nor did I add chia seeds, because I didn’t have any. I didn’t add the tempering (1/6 of 2 tsp oil just did my head in!) and to add insult to injury, cooked the rolls in my frying pan because I don’t have an over.
However, in spite of all that, they were really quite wonderful: fluffy, just lik it said on the packet and delcious, with a lovely hint of coconut that wasn’t overpowering.
I shall certainly add these to my repertoire. Thank you Richa: you’re an inspiration.
Hi Richa!! I can’t believe I made this! I’ve been following your blog forever and bought the instant pot cookbook and I feel like I cook your recipes exclusively now. They’re so delicious!! I made these buns and it was my first time making any kind of bread or bun so it was a learning experience for me. They were very flavorful but I think when the dough was sticky it was probably way too sticky because they were a little too soft. Either way I’ll be sure to make them again (correctly!!). Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Just add more flour. Moisture content in brands of coconut milk and moisture absorption in flour brands also differ. So just go by feeling the dough and adjust as needed
Coconut Rolls: I love your recipes. I grew up in India and I miss everything about the people and culture as I know no other. British by birth, came to the US at 18, I am a square peg in a round hole. But the food is something I can keep. I love the way you mix vegan and traditional Indian.
thank you for sharing <3 and thank you for making Richa's recipes! so glad they make you feel more at home.
This looks so delish! Just to confirm, we can use full fat coconut milk in the recipe? In the recipe card, it says lite coconut milk
Yes use full fat. Updated the recipe card. Full fat is preferred milk to use for these rolls
I am confused about what type of milk I should use: coconut milk – light or full body, oat or soymilk?
Full fat coconut milk is preferred.