Ellu sadham or Sesame rice is one among my favorite variety rice. The very first I had this at temple in Chennai. Saturday’s are considered as auspicious for Lord Vishnu, this rice is prepared and offered to Lord Vishnu. Later served to everyone who comes to temple and so it is considered as one of the festive recipe.

A very simple and easy recipe which can be made in minutes. The spice powder is the key ingredient in this rice, so you can prepare more amount of spice powder and store it in an air-tight container for a week or refrigerate for 2 weeks. This is one such version with coconut, stay tuned for another version without coconut which can be stored at room temperature for month time. Let us move on to the recipe…

Ellu Sadham / til Rice / Sesame Rice

Ingredients:

• Steamed rice – 1 cup
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Split Blackgram – ½ tsp
• Curry leaves – a sprig
• Black sesame seeds – 6 tbsp
• Channa dal (kadala paruppu) – 2 tbsp
• Dry red chilies – 6 nos
• Roasted peanuts – 1 tbsp
• Grated coconut – 3 tbsp
• Gingelly oil / Sesame oil / Nallennai – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Ellu podi / Sesame Rice powder

Powder spread in a plate

Spices getting splatter

With Ellu podi / Sesame powder

With steamed rice

Almost done

Ellu Sadham / til Rice / Sesame Rice

Preparation:

• Dry roast channa dal for few mins, until it starts turning golden brown.
• Add in the sesame seeds, grated coconut and 5 nos of red chilies, roast for few seconds. Else sesame seeds would be burnt and would taste bitter.
• Bring it to room temperature and grind it to a fine powder.
• Spread it in a plate and break the lumps with your hands.
• Heat gingelly oil in a kadhai, add the mustard seeds, black gram, curry leaves, peanuts and a red chili and cook until they crackle.
• Add in 3 to 4 tbsp of ellu powder as per your taste, wait for 2 mins. Remove from fire.
• Add in the steamed rice. Mix them all together.

Serve hot with any pappad of your choice.