Name: Karivepaku Sadam
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 cup Cooked Rice, cooled; 1 cup Curry Leaves, tightly packed; 2 tbsp Sesame Oil, gingelly oil preferred; 1 tbsp Split Black Gram (Skinless), for roasting; 1 tbsp Split Bengal Gram, for roasting; 1 tsp Black Peppercorns; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds; 3 Dried Red Chili Peppers; 1 tsp Tamarind Extract; ½ tsp Mustard Seeds; 2 tbsp Peanuts, roasted; ¼ tsp Asafoetida; 1 tsp Salt, to taste

35 mintotal

25 min hands-on10 min hands-off

Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

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Method

Roast the base: heat a little sesame oil in a heavy pan. Add the split black gram, bengal gram, whole peppercorns, cumin and dried red chillies. Roast them patiently over low heat until the lentils turn a deep golden brown.
Add the dry curry leaves to the pan. Sauté them for 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously, until all the moisture has gone and the leaves are brittle and crisp. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool completely.
3–4 min
Put the cooled, roasted mixture in a mixer. Add the tamarind extract and the salt, and grind it to a coarse, very aromatic powder.
In a wide pan, heat the remaining sesame oil until hot. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Follow with a good pinch of asafoetida and the roasted groundnuts. Sauté for 30 seconds.
30 sec
Add the cold cooked rice and the curry leaf powder to the pan. Fold everything through very gently, so the grains are evenly coated in the dark green spice mix without breaking.
Cover and leave it on a very low simmer for exactly 2 minutes so the heat and flavour work through the rice. Turn off the heat and serve.
2 min

How to tell it's done

Anticipate wildly independent, highly aerated rice grains completely obscured by a profound, dark-emerald spice lacquer, fiercely punctuated by the explosive, woody crunch of roasted peanuts.

Getting it right

Tip

Use cold, day-old rice and real gingelly (sesame) oil. Fresh hot rice breaks down into mush, and any other oil loses the nutty smell this dish is known for.

What to serve it with

Quick, and it keeps well. Serve it hot or pack it in a lunchbox, with a papad, a cooling cucumber raita or plain curd.

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Ingredients