Ellodharai - Ellu Chadham - Til Chaval - Sesame Rice

Hi There!

Today I am sharing with you a healthy rice recipe made using black Sesame seeds / Til (hindi) / Ellu (Tamizh)

Sesame seeds are good source of Calcium, Iron, Magnesium etc.

Traditionally this rice is made on Saturday and offered (Neivedhyam) to one of the Navagraha Bhagvan  - Shanishwaran (Shanishwar).

For Shani Bhagavan Slokams you can click "Here"!!

Sesame oil is considered as the best oil and good for heart health. Using sesame oil (til oil) will enhance the flavour and taste of this rice.

Here is the recipe for this quick and easy rice variety.

You will need :-

1. Cooked Rice - 1 cup

For powdering :-

1. Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp
2. Urad Dal - 1 tsp
3. Red chillies - 1 No. (or as per your preference)
4. Black pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
5. salt to taste

For tempering :-

1. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
2. Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Curry Leaves - 5 nos.

Procedure :-

• Heat a wok, dry roast the ingredients given for powdering and coarsely powder them.

• Heat sesame oil and add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the asafoetida powder and then the curry leaves.
• Switch off the gas and add the ground powder, salt and then the cooked rice.

• Mix them well

Ellodharai is Ready!!

Raw Mango Rice / Manga Sadam / Kachi Kairi Chaval

'Raw mango' - even a thought of mango makes one's mouth water...... Summer is the season for mangoes; raw and ripe. I already made instant pickle with the sour mangoes. Got this less sour variety called thothapuri / kilimooku mango.... which are more tasty for instant pickles and for making this variety rice dish called "Mango Rice" / Manga Chadham (sadam) / Kachi Kairi Chaval.


This is a quick and easy dish to make when you have some ready cooked rice!

You may need :-

1. Raw Mango - 1/2 No. (thothapuri variety/kilimooku manga)
2. Cooked rice -2 cups
3.  Green chillies - 2 Nos. (or as per your preference)
4. Curry Leaves - 8 Nos.
5. Sesame Oil - 1 tbsp
6. Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
7. Urad dal - 1 tsp
8. Asafoetida - a pinch
9. Salt to taste
10. Turmeric powder - a very little pinch

 
Procedure:-

• Grate the raw mango with skin on. 

 

• Finely chop the green chilli.

• Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering add Urad Dal and fry till it turns into golden brown.

• Add asafoetida powder, and then the Curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies and  grated Raw Mango.

 

• Add little pinch of turmeric. [Only a little so that it doesn't turn the color of the dish but higlhlight the beauitful color of mango].

• Saute for two minutes till mango turns little soft.  Turn off the flame.

• Add salt and cooked rice, Mix gently.

• 

  
  

• Mouthwatering Mango Rice is ready! 

 

Enjoy it plain or with some fried papad / chips or some mango pickle ;-

Other Mango Recipes :-

1. Manga Kootan (Raw Mango Curry)
2. Quick Raw Mango Pickle
3. Mampazha Pulissery (A curry using Buttermilk and Ripe Mangoes)

Tomato Rice Thakkali Sadam Tamatar Chaval

When I think of tomato rice, i was taken way back to my early working days when I used to buy food parcel from a mess on days when I don't carry my lunch box.  The word 'mess' has a special touch than a hotel because of its homely food.  

I remember those days....brownish green parcel was lying at a corner of the lunch table waiting to be opened ..... A look at the pack was enough to kindle my gastric juice .... I eagerly looked forward to lunch time.  I carefully unwound the thread and opened the crispy leaf parcel.....aha! colorful tomato rice packed in Patravali (Thayal Ilai in tamil) and the lightly oily layered inside of the leaf and the aroma it has given to the hot and freshly packed tomato rice is just enough to push me into the absolute foodie bliss....

Patravali or thayyal ilai is an eco friendly packing item made of leaves. The dried leaves of Sal or Jackfruit or Mandarai (still looking for the right english name. so please bear with me. it is a tamil name) are stitched together with the help of thin and tiny wooden sticks. Different regions in the country use different tree leaves for this purpose. They were used by sages and for offering and disbtributing prashad at the temples. We still can see these leaves in use in the country side.  Now with the help of machines these leaves are moulded into plate and bowl shape, are available in the market.

This is how Patravali - leaf plate looks. Got it from google search...

Let us get into tomato rice making..... this recipe is how we make it at home.

Ingredients :-

1. Cooked Rice - 1.5 Cups
2. Tomato - 1 Big
3. Onion - 1 Medium (optional)
4. Ginger - 1/2" piece  (optional)
5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
6. Green Chilli - 1 No.
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Red Chilli Powder - as per taste
9. Asafoetida powder - 1 Pinch
10. Sesame Oil for tempering - 1 tbsp
11. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
12. Channa dal - 1 tsp (split bengal gram)
13.  Salt to taste
14. A tsp of ghee
15. Jaggery - 1/4 tsp
16. Coriander leaves finely chopped - 1 tbsp (optional)

Procedure :

•  Finely chop tomato, onion, ginger, few curry leaves, Green chilli.

•  Heat oil, add mustard seeds. After they start spluttering, add channa dal. When the dal turns golden brown in color, add the curry leaves, finely chopped curry leaves, onion, ginger, green chillies and saute' till onion turns pink.

• Now add the finely chopped tomato and add little salt so that tomatoes gets cooked quickly and turns mushy.

• Now add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, asafoetida powder and required salt and very little jaggery (to enhance the taste) mix well and fry for one minute.

•  Switch off the flame, add chopped coriander leaves, ghee and the cooked rice. Gently mix well.

• Yummy tomato rice is ready to serve!  

Side dish : fried fryums, papad and curd makes a good combo.  I relish the tomato rice just plain :-)

There are few items mentioned optional. I sometimes add them, sometimes exclude any one or few of them to get variation in taste and flavour of this tomato rice.  If you want it to be more tangy, accordingly increase the measure for chopped tomato.

Arinelli chadham / Gooseberry Rice / nellikai sadham

Arinelli  or arainelli is a variety of Amla (gooseberry) which is small in size compared to the regular gooseberry and differ in shape.They turn pink when fully ripe and little sweet. Flavour also differs from the regular gooseberry.

I remember the nostalgic childhoods days, we had eaten lot of them, in raw form or with little salt. At home, mother used to make pickle, variety rice, vathakal (stirfry) etc during the season. The way they hang in the branches is a feast for eyes. (picture below)

Arinelli (courtesy : google search)

I saw them (This variety) in the market recently after a decade and shopped some to relish some simple recipe at home. My first preparation was a Variety Rice known as 'nellikkai chaadham" aka Gooseberry Rice.

Ingredients :

1. Arinelli - 10 Nos.  (gooseberry)
2. Green chilli - 2 Nos.
3. Gingely oil - 2 tbsp  (Til tel / sesame oil)
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp  (kadugu / Rai)
5. Black gram - 1 tsp  (ulundu / urad)
6. Bengal gram - 1 tsp  (kadalai paruppu / chana dal)
7. Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch  (perungayam / hing)
8. Curry Leaves - 8 Nos.
9. Salt to taste
10. Cooked Rice - 1 cup

Procedure :-

•  Wash the gooseberries and pat dry.

•  grind the gooseberries & green chillies in a mixer (without water)

• Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add Black gram and bengal gram, asafoetida powder and curry leaves. 

• When the grams turn goldben brown, add the ground gooseberry chilli mix and saute for a minute in low flame.

• Remove from fire, add Salt to taste, mix well. 

• Add cooked rice and gently mix it.

• Gooseberry rice is ready to serve!

(Optional : you can add turmeric powder while tempering. But I avoided as I like the rice in its natural colour)

Lemon Rice

Another Variety Rice - easy to make, colourful with a lemon flavour.

Ingridients :-

1. Cooked Rice - 1 Cup
2. Oil  - 5 tsp
3. Mustard - 1/2 tsp
4. Urad - 1/2 tsp
5. Channa Dal - 1/2 tsp
6. Asafoetida - 1 pinch (less than 1/4 tsp)
7. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
8. Green Chillies - 2 Nos. or as preferred - finely chopped
9. Ginger - 1/2" piece - finely chopped
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon

Procedure :-

Video recipe is available here :- 

• Chop ginger & green chillies finely.
• Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds
• When they start spluttering, add the dals. [I usually try to bring variations by using both the dals, or any one of the dals]
• Switch off the gas.
• Now add turmeric power, asafoetida powder.
• After the dal turns golden brow, add the chopped ginger & green chilli and curry leaves.
• Add and salt 
• Now Add the cooked rice and mix gently.
• Squeeze in juice of half a lemon and gently mix.
• Tasty & flavourful Lemon Rice is ready!

Beetroot Rice

Beetroot is rich in iron and can be taken in various forms. Here I am sharing a Variety Rice using beetroot.

Ingridients :-

1. Beetroot grated - 1 cup
2. cooked Rice - 1cup
3. small Onion - 7 nos.
4. Green chillies - 2 nos
5. Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
6. Oil - 1 tbsp
7. Mustard - 1/4 tsp
8. salt to taste
9. Turmeric Powder - less than 1/4 tsp

Procedure :

• Wash, clean and grate beetroot.
• Peel and wash small onions. Crush them or grind in a mixer coarsely.
• Finely chop green chillies, coriander leaves
• Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add crushed small onions, green chillies and saute for 1 minute
• Add grated beetroot, turmeric powder and salt and cook till it is done.
• Remove from flame and add cooked rice and finely chopped coriander leaves, mix well.
• Yummy and colourful healthy beetroot rice is ready

Linking this post to Show me your Hits event hosted by Anusha of Tomato Blues for Sangee @ Spicy Treats

Brinji / பிரிஞ்சி / ब्रिंजी

This is a southindian masala rice with mixed vegetables viz. Carrot, Beans, Cauliflower, Green Peas, Potato Flavoured by a mixture of Herbs & Spices.

For this recipe, I used Tukda Basmati which though looks small, when cooked looks like long rice and gives out the wonderful aroma of basmati and is also cheaper compared to the normal basmati rice.

Ingridients :

1. Rice - 2 Tea Cups
2. Milk - 2 tea cups
3. Water - 2 tea cups
   
4. Curd - 1 tbsp
5. Carrot + Beans + Potato + Green Peas= 1 cup
6. Onion - 2 Nos
7. Tomato - 2 Nos
8. Green Chilli - 3 nos.
9. Garlic Pods - 8 -10 Nos.
10. Ginger - 1" piece
11. Bread Slices - 4 Nos. (optional)
12. Oil / ghee - 2 tbsp
13. Salt to taste

 

Spices :

1. Bay leaves - 3 nos
2. Cloves - 4 Nos
3. Cinnamon sticks - 2 nos
4. Stone flower - 1  piece
5. Saunf / Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
6. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp (as you prefer)

Herbs :

1. Coriander leaves - 1 handful
2. Mint Leaves - 1/2 measure of coriander leaves

Preparation

1. Chop Onion lengthwise
2. Dice the vegetables
3. Chop coriander & mint leaves
4. Chop green chillies & tomatoes finely
5. Grate ginger and garlic
6. Cut the Bread Slices into small squares
7. Wash rice and keep aside

Procedure :

• Heat Oil in a wok, add the Bay Leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves, Stone Flower and Fennel Seeds (saunf). 
• After the saunf changes colour slightly, add the Chopped Onion, grated ginger, garlic and greenchillies. 
• Fry till onion becomes translucent. Add Tomatoes and cook till they become mushy.  
• Add Turmeric Powder and Red Chilli Powder and the chopped vegetables & saute for 2 minutes
• Add the herbs and saute for few seconds
• Add the rice & fry for 3 minutes 
• Add curd, water and milk & required salt, mix well.

• Cook using absorbing / drying method, when you see the  bubbles coming out of small holes, switch off the stove and keep it covered for 20 minutes.

• Heat a non-stick pan, add very little oil/ghee, put the bread pieces, mix well and roast them in low flame till they become crisp by turning them occassionally.
• Before serving add the roasted bread slices, mix and then serve with Raitha & roasted papad

Tip :- For roasted bread slices, you can also make them crispy using the pop-up toasted and then slightly roast in little ghee for flavour.

How to cook Plain Rice - for beginners

Plain rice should be cooked properly to make the food more inviting and interesting. The grains should be separate as well as cooked. 

Choosing the rice : There are variety of rices avaialble in the market. One major thing which we should keep in mind is not to buy new rice. New rice cooks faster and mostly it will end up becoming paste. Also they are not good for stomach. New rice will look bright in colour, easily breaks/powdered. So always buy little Old Rice. But best suited for health is boiled rice. and red rice especially for dieters. It will not taste so good like raw rice, but it will give you a filled feeling quickly, less consumption of rice and will not make you feel hungry for long time. The red rice is the healthiest rice as the outer skin is not removed. But it's taste is not so good but very very healthy.

Plain rice can be cooked in different ways :-

1. Pressure cook method (slow cook method)
2. Draining method  (fast cook method)
3. Drying /  Absorbing method
4. Rice Cooker

Pressure cook : For this method the amount of water required vary according the variety of rice used. So this is a trial & error method. Always cook some sample rice in case you are going for a new variety, to know the required water. Normally i take rice and water in 1 : 2  to 1 : 2 1/2 sratio for pressure cooking.

Pressure cooked rice when kept outside for long time will become dry,  if you like to reheat it, sprinkle little water on top to make it soft, close the vessel with a lid.

Draining method : It is the traditional method where the excess starch is drained and this method is very good for dieters as it removes the excess carbs. Those who want extra noursihment can add milk  & sugar  or butter milk & salt and drink the water or can use it in making soups.

Take a big vessel (which should be able  to hold the cooked rice as well as the water upto 3/4th of its capacity). Fill nearly 3/4th of it with water and boil it. In the meantime, take the required quantity of rice, wash , fill fresh water & keep aside. When the water starts boiling, drain the water from the rice and put it into the boiling water. Stir it. when the water after adding rice starts boiling again, reduce the flame and cook till the grains are almost cooked. (to save gas consumption, remove it from fire when 3/4th done, keep it covered for 10 minutes. check a sample if done to your preference, drain). To drain the excess water, i have a holed plate with which I cover the vessel, put clips on both sides and let it drain.

Absorbing / Drying method :

For 1 cup rice, take 2 cups water. Boil the water, then add rice, cook on medium falme. When you see no water on top and bubbles appearing out of holes on the surface, put off the flame. Keep it covered for 15 minutes. The rice will be ready and the grains will be separate. This method is best suited fo rmaking pulao.

Rice Cooker:

This method also like pressure cook method the amount of water varies with the variety of rice used. To get dry rice, (i.e.) grains separate, add 2 or 2 &1/2 cup water. Always do sample cooking to get to know the exact water required for the variety of rice you use.

Puliyodharai / Tamarind Rice - புளியோதரை

A lipsmacking variety rice of south India and is the most common and famous one in the Iyengar Homes. This rice is distributed as Prashad at Vishnu (Perumal) Temples in Tamil Nadu. I love seeing the rice inside the dhonnai (leaf bowl) which make it even more appetizing. "Perumal Koil Puliyodharai" is very famous. But the recipe I am giving here is a little different one, shared by one of my Iyengar (Vaishnavite) friend.

As the name suggests, it is tangy (Puli).

Prepared using combination of different ingredients and different methods..


In this method, the gravy and the masala powder are mixed separately to the cooked rice and set aside for minimum 4 hours to let the flavour be absorbed by the rice. Seasme Oil (til tel) suits best for this recipe.

You  may also mix the powder in the tamarind water, boil it in a kadai after giving tadka and that paste can be stored in refirgerator for instant use in the future. - A good & quick lunch box idea for office goers.

In olden days, for long distance travel, this rice is preferred & taken as Parcels by packing them in a plantain leaf, as they can last long. I remember the train journeys during my childhood  days, we eagerly await for amma to open each podhi (parcel), we just relish every bit of the rice with the fried karuvadams (a southindian papad variety). It is a must in our Picnic Lunch as well.

Ingredients :-

1. Rice - 1 tea cup 
2. Haldi - 1/4 tsp

for the gravy & tempering

1. Tamarind - 1 big lemon size
2. Salt to taste
3. Asafoetida (hing) - less than 1/4 tsp
4. Urad dal - 1 tsp
5. Mustard - 1 tsp
6. Chana dal - 1 tsp
7. Gingelly oil - 2 1/2 tsbp
8. Roasted Ground nut - 2 tbsp
9. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Masala Mix

1. Dhania seeds - 1 tbsp
2. Red chilli - 7 nos
3. Pepper corns - 10 nos.
4. Jeera - 1/4 tsp
5. Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp

Preparations :

• Cook rice by adding Haldi (turmeric powder) - the grains should be separate. spread in a plate to cool.
• Dry roast the ingridients given for masala mix one by one and powder them
• Prepare tamarind water and keep it ready.

Procedure :-

• Heat oil, add mustard. when it starts spluttering, add Channa dal and urad dal & fry till they turn red.

• Add curry leaves, roasted ground nut and tamarind water.

• Put asafoetida and salt. Boil till it becomes little thick in consistency.

• To the cooked rice, add the masala powder little by little (as per your flavour preference) and the tamarind paste (if you need it less tangy, add it 3/4 of the paste first and then as per taste can add more). Mix well and keep it aside for minimum 4 hours so that the flavour will be absorbed into the rice and makes the dish even more special

Side dish suggestion : Urad Papad / Rice papads

Suggestion :- You may add the powder to tamarind water and boil it well. after it cools down, store in a container and refrigerate. This can be used as and when required for preparing tamarind rice.

Coconut Rice / தேங்காய் சாதம்

Serves - 1

Ingridients :

1. Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp
2. Rice (cooked) - 1 cup
3. Coconut Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
4. Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
5. Channa dhal - 1/2 tsp
6. Mustard - less than 1/2 tsp
7. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
8. Salt to taste
9. Red chilli - 1
10. Hing powder - 1 pinch
11. Finely chopped green chillie & Ginger - 1/2 tsp each

Procedure :

• 
  
• Heat Oil in a kadai
• Add a pinch of hing, mustard
• when mustard starts spluttering, add channa dhal, urad dhal. fry till dhal turns red
• Add curry leaves, Red chilli cut into two, green chilli, Ginger and salt to taste
• Add grated coconut and fry for a minute (should not change colour)
• Puff off flame
• Now add cooked rice and mix well
• Delicious coconut rice is ready.

Potato Rice / Aloo Rice

Potato is a favourite vegetable for many. The starch packed in it will give lot of energies especially to children and the yummy flavour and taste of it is enjoyed by one and all.

Ingredient : (serves-1)

1. Potato (big) - 1 No.
2. Curry leaves  - 5 Nos
3. Green chillies - as required
4. Salt to taste
5. Cooked white rice - 1 cup
6. Whole urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Hing - 2 pinch
9. Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp
10. Coconut Oil - 3 tsp

Procedure :

• Boil, peel the potato and dice into small cubes.
• Chop green chillies
• Heat oil in a kadai. Add  hing and mustard seeds. 
• When the seeds start spluttering, add Urad dhal
• When urad dhal turns little pleasant red colour, add curry leaves & green chillies and Grated coconut
• Saute for 20 seconds, add salt and the cubed potatoes. Mix well. put off the flame.
• Now mix in the cooked rice well. Potato rice is ready

Variation : you can add chopped ginger while seasoning and garnish with coriander leaves for added flavour.

Vegetable Pulao / Pilaf

Pulao is an ancient dish prepared using rice and vegetables flavoured with fragrant spices. Rice is fried in oil along with spices. It is also known as Pilaf. There were mentions about this dish in sanskrit (Pallao-mevach) and tamil literatures. Dates back to 3rd to 6th century.

There are many versions of Pulao using veg and nonveg items. In North the aroma of masalas will be strong. In south it is little different and is light in color. What I am going to share here is a different dish which one of my Maharashtrian Friend taught me. The preparation is quite easy as we are going to grind the masala and add the cubed vegetables & rice at various stage.

I used drying method where the ratio of rice to water is 1 : 2. 

Vegetables ideal for Pulao : Carrot, Beans, Potato, Cauliflower, Green Peas.

I used Olive oil. you can use cooking oil of your choice.

Ingeidients :

1. Basmati Rice – 1 Cup
2. Water – 2Cups
3. Onion – 1 No.
4. Ginger – 1” piece
5. Garlic – 6 big pods
6. Bay leaf – 1 No.
7. Black Peppercorn – 1 tsp
8. Green Chillies – 3 or 4 (as required)
9. Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup
10. Mint  leaves - leaves from 4 sprigs
11. Cinnamon  – ½” piece
12. Cardamom – 1 No.
13. Cloves – 2 Nos
14. Vegetables of your choice – 1/2 cup
15. Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
16. Salt to taste

 Procedure :

• Dice Carrots, beans, cauliflower into cubes. Peel the skin of Ginger and chop into cubes. Deskin garlic pods.

• Grind together - Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Black Peppercorn, Green Chillies, Coriander and Mint leaves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves, Bay leaf, into a paste.

• Wash and Soak Basmati Rice for 30 minutes.

• Heat Oil in a thick bottomed Wok,  Add the ground masala. Saute well till oil comes start oozing out.

• Add rice and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. 

• Now add the cubed vegetables and saute for 30 seconds.

• Add 2 Cups of Water , salt and let it boil. 

•  Now cover and cook it on medium flame till the water on top dries out and you see bubbles coming out of holes.

• Switch off the flame. Leave it stand covered for 15 to 20 minutes.

• Yummy Vegetable Pulao is ready to serve!

Accompaniment : Onion Raita / Vegetable Raita / Plain Curd