Ellu Sadam | South Indian Sesame Rice

Since, rice is a staple for the entire of South India, there are many dishes that are made using this grain. Here’s one of those many rice-based dishes that South India is known for, the Sesame Rice. Also known as Ellu Sadam in Tamil Nadu, this is a vegan, easy and delicious preparation of rice and ground sesame seeds. This special rice cooked with sesame is also considered as holy when offered as a prasadam in temples of Lord Shiva and Lord Shani.

About Ellu Sadam

In Tamil language, sesame seeds is ‘ellu or yellu’ and rice is ‘sadam.’ Hence, the typical Tamil Nadu special Sesame Rice is also called the Ellu Sadam. More or less every South Indian household has a similar recipe to make this dish. There might just be a few variations, here and there.

My recipe of Sesame Rice is inspired by the method from Samaithu Paar by Meenakshi Ammal. This cookbook is one of the best reference points for Tam-Brahm (Tamil-Brahmin) cooking.

The set of 3 volumes was gifted to me by one of my dearest readers. This is one of those presents that is close to my heart and will always be cherished by me.  

On the whole, making Ellu Sadam is quite a hassle-free task and it gets done easily. Here, I have mentioned the method of cooking the rice. A pan/pot or a pressure cooker can also be used to cook the rice. You need to proceed with it, just the way you cook by adding the required quantity of water.

About This Recipe

I have used the pounded sona masuri variety of rice. You can use any variety white or even brown rice for making this Sesame Rice. I always prefer to use the unpolished white sesame seeds for this, but you can use either of the polished white or black sesame seeds as well.

Also, it is best to cook the Ellu Sadam in sesame oil as it is done traditionally this way itself. However, if you like the taste of ghee in your rice dishes, use that as the medium of fat for cooking this dish as well.

If you want to add green chilies and make it a spicy rice, you can do that too. In that case, make sure to use a less spicy dried red chili for the ellu podi.

You can also add some peanuts and/or coconut for an added layer of texture and flavor in this rice dish. Best had as a main course or a side dish. Can even be packed in your tiffin box as lunch.

How to make Ellu Sadam

Cook Rice

1. Rinse 1 cup rice a couple of times in water and then soak in enough water for 20 minutes.

2. Later, drain all the water and add the rice in a pressure cooker. Also, add ½ teaspoon salt or add as required.

3. Add 1.75 to 2 cups water or add as required for regular white rice. If using hand pounded rice, then add 2.25 to 2.5 cups water.

If using brown rice, then add 3 cups water. For brown rice, soak for 30 minutes.

4. For white rice, pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium heat. For hand pounded rice, pressure cook for 7 to 8 whistles and for brown rice pressure cook for 10 to 12 whistles on medium heat.

5. When the pressure settles down naturally, remove the lid.

6. Take the rice in a large bowl or plate and let the rice grains cool down completely.

Make Ellu Podi (Sesame Powder)

7. Heat a small pan. Keep the flame to a low. Add 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds. You can also use black sesame seeds or half-half of both white sesame seeds and black sesame seeds.

8. Begin to roast sesame seeds on low heat, stirring non-stop.

9. Roast sesame seeds till they pop and change color. When they are roasted well, remove them in a plate and keep aside. Let the sesame seeds cool.

10. In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon urad dal (husked and split black gram).

11. On low heat, begin to roast urad dal, stirring often.

12. Roast urad dal till light golden.

13. Then, add 2 dried red chilies (broken and seeds removed). You can use byadagi or Kashmiri red chilies.

14. Stirring often, roast red chilies till they change color. This takes some seconds and by this time the urad dal will also turn golden and aromatic.

Make sure not to burn both urad dal or red chilies. If you want, you can roast both urad dal and red chilies separately. Let them cool.

15. In a dry grinder jar or coffee grinder, add the roasted urad dal and red chilies. Also, add a pinch of asafoetida.

16. Grind to a semi-fine or fine powder.

17. Add the roasted sesame seeds.

18. Using the pulse option for some seconds, grind the sesame seeds to a fine powder. You can also grind to a semi-fine powder.

Make sure not to grind at a stretch. No oil should release from the ground sesame seed powder.

Make Ellu Sadam

19. Add the sesame seed powder to the cooked rice.

20. Mix well. If there are any lumps in the rice, then break with a spoon or spatula.

21. Check the taste and if required, add some more salt at this step. Mix well again. If using sea salt crystals, then grind the salt crystals with sesame seeds.

Make Tempering

22. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil (gingelly oil). Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. If you do not have sesame oil, then you can use sunflower oil or peanut oil.

23. Let the mustard seeds crackle.

24. When the mustard seeds crackle, add 8 to 10 curry leaves.

25. Switch off the heat and stir.

26. Add the tempering with the oil in the rice mixture.

27. Mix again.

28. Serve Ellu Sadam as a main course or side dish. You can accompany a South Indian side vegetable dish or even homemade curd with it.

Expert Tips

1. For regular white rice, add 1.75 to 2 cups; for hand pounded rice, add 2.25 to 2.5 cups water and for brown rice, add 3 cups water. If using brown rice, soak for 30 minutes.
2. For white rice, pressure cook for 2 whistles; for hand pounded rice, pressure cook for 7 to 8 whistles and for brown rice, pressure cook for 10 to 12 whistles. All on medium heat.
3. You can use white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds or half-half of both.
4. For the sesame seed powder or ellu podi, use dried red chilies of a less hot or pungent variety.
5. For a spicier rice, add 3 byadagi or Kashmiri dried red chilies in the ellu podi or even some green chilies in the tempering.
6. If you want the flavor of sesame seeds to be more prominent and dominant, add 4 tablespoons instead of 3 tablespoons.
7. You can add peanuts too in this recipe.
8. Easily make it for lesser or more people, by making the recipe halve, double or triple.

This Ellu Sadam recipe from the archives was first published on January 2018. It has been updated and republished on February 2024.