Chettinad Kavuni Arisi Sadam

Name: Chettinad Kavuni Arisi Sadam
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 7 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Tamilnadu)
Ingredients: 1 cup kavuni arisi (black glutinous rice / forbidden rice), soaked overnight (minimum 8 hours); 1 cup thick coconut milk (first extract); 1 cup thin coconut milk (second extract or diluted); ¾ cup jaggery (vellam), powdered (adjust to taste); 4 green cardamom pods, seeds crushed; 2 tbsp ghee; A pinch of salt; 2 tbsp cashew nuts, halved (for garnish); 1 tbsp fresh grated coconut (for garnish); Overnight soaking is non-negotiable — black rice without soaking takes 1+ hour to cook and remains chewy.; Add thick coconut milk only after removing from high heat — boiling thick coconut milk for too long makes it grainy and separates the fat.; Adjust jaggery — some like it sweeter (add up to 1 cup), some prefer it subtly sweet with the nutty rice flavour dominant.; The deep purple colour naturally stains hands and fabric — handle with care.

🟢 Veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

Chettinad's prized black rice (kavuni arisi / forbidden rice) cooked with coconut milk, cardamom, and jaggery — served as a festive lunch sweet dish or as a standalone meal during Chettinad weddings and ceremonies. Deep purple-black with a nutty, earthy sweetness.

⏱️15 minPrep

🔥12 minCook

🕒27 minTotal

🍽️7Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Chettinad Kavuni Arisi Sadam

Dissolve jaggery (low heat): While rice cooks, melt powdered jaggery in 2 tbsp warm water in a small pan on low heat, stirring until completely dissolved. Strain through a fine sieve to remove grit. Keep aside.
Add coconut milk and jaggery (low heat): Once rice is fully cooked (and if using pressure cooker, pressure has released naturally), open and stir. The rice will have absorbed most liquid. Add thick coconut milk, strained jaggery syrup, crushed cardamom seeds, and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly.
Fry the garnish (medium heat): In a separate small pan, heat ghee on medium for 30 seconds. Add cashew halves. Fry, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes until golden. Add grated coconut, fry 30 seconds more until edges are slightly toasted. Pour over the kavuni arisi sadam.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 420 kcal | 6 g | 72 g | 13 g | 3 g | Kavuni arisi is iconic to Chettinad cuisine — the Nattukotai Chettiars historically traded across Southeast Asia and brought black glutinous rice from Myanmar and Thailand. It appears at every Chettinad wedding as a ceremonial dish (kaikottai) and during Karthigai Deepam and Diwali. The rice is believed to have medicinal properties and is high in anthocyanins (the same antioxidants in blueberries). ---

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