Also Known As: Sesame Rice, Gingeli Rice, Til Rice, Ellu Podi Saadham. Ellu Podi.

This is one of my favorite rice, I got this recipe from my our family friend ‘Natha Kumar’…he is a priest at ‘Thiru Par Kadal – Shree Ranganathan Temple’. He is one of the amazing cook I ever met. Mommy learned many recipes, especially some authentic Iyengar recipes and Temple foods.

He feels free, to come home and assist my Mom. When I was studying in school, he used to pack my lunch box with this magic food ‘Ellu Saadham’. I know, its a simple recipe…but my school friends loved it a lot. My whole lunch box will be ‘Swaaha’ in a minute. All my friends were crazy about this dish.

I don’t know, its kind of traditional dish I suppose. Hindus like to prepare it on annual memorial day of their ancestors or to Sani Bhagawan (God of Saturn).
Ingredients:

Choose any long grained rice(basmati) or small grained rice (seeraga samba) -2 cups

To be roasted and powdered:
Black or Brown Sesame 1 cup
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 4-6

Roast the above said ingredients each separately. Powder them either together or separately. One can add little salt to this powder.

For seasoning:
Ghee or sesame oil 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 6-8 numbers
Curry leaves
Whole black pepper 1 spoon
Sesame seeds 1 spoon
Cashew nuts 10-12 numbers

In a pan heat oil or ghee and add all the above ingredients until they pop and fried well.

Method:

1. 1. Cook rice along with salt and a spoon full of oil. Make sure to get stiff and separated rice.
2. 2. Mix the powder and seasoning items to rice and add little ghee once again.