Ellu Sadam

Ellu Sadam

Ellu Sadam

Veg Vegan

Cooked rice tossed with a freshly prepared paste of dry-roasted sesame seeds, dried red chillies, tamarind, and asafoetida, finished with a mustard-curry leaf tempering in sesame oil. A ritual rice dish prepared for Aadi Perukku and temple festivals in Kongunadu, ellu sadam's strong sesame-tamarind flavour is beloved as a packed-lunch staple.

Cuisines

Chettinad Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras Andhra

Best for

Lunch

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 20 min Total: 40 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon urad dal
1 tablespoon chana dal
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 pinch asafoetida
2 units dried red chilies
1 sprig curry leaves
to taste salt

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash the basmati rice thoroughly and cook it with 2 cups of water until done. Let it cool completely.
  2. 2 In a dry pan, roast the sesame seeds on low flame until they turn golden and aromatic. Remove and set aside.
  3. 3 In the same pan, add urad dal and chana dal. Roast until they are golden brown. Remove and set aside.
  4. 4 Grind the roasted sesame seeds, urad dal, and chana dal into a coarse powder. Set aside.
  5. 5 In a pan, heat coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
  6. 6 Add asafoetida, dried red chilies, and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds.
  7. 7 Add the cooked rice to the pan and mix well.
  8. 8 Sprinkle the sesame-dal powder and salt over the rice. Mix gently until the rice is well coated with the powder.
  9. 9 Cook for another 2-3 minutes on low flame, stirring occasionally.
  10. 10 Serve warm.

Tips

For extra flavor, toast the sesame seeds until they are just about to change color, but be careful not to burn them.