Photo: Gannu03 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Tamilnadu · Breakfast

Ellu Sadam (எள்ளு சாதம்)

Traditional 72. Ellu Sadam recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice (leftover, cooled)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil (gingelly oil)
• 4 tbsp black sesame seeds (or white — black gives stronger flavor)
• 2 tbsp chana dal
• 2 tbsp urad dal
• 4 dried red chilies (adjust for heat)
• ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
• Small marble-sized tamarind piece
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 10 curry leaves

👩‍🍳 How to make Ellu Sadam

1. In a dry kadai over low-medium heat, dry roast chana dal and urad dal separately, each for 2 minutes until light golden.
2. Dry roast dried red chilies for 45 seconds.
3. Finally, dry roast sesame seeds for 1–2 minutes — they will begin to pop and turn fragrant.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Cool all ingredients completely.
6. Grind cooled roasted sesame, dals, red chilies, tamarind piece, asafoetida, and salt together in a dry blender.
7. Pulse to a coarse powder — some sesame seeds should remain partially whole.
8. The powder will be grey-black (black sesame) or off-white (white sesame).
9. Store in airtight jar — ellu podi keeps for 2 weeks at room temperature.
10. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a kadai over high heat.
11. Add mustard seeds — crackle 20 seconds.
12. Add urad dal — fry 30 seconds until golden.
13. Add curry leaves — sizzle 10 seconds.
14. Add leftover rice to tempering.
15. Drizzle 2 tbsp sesame oil over rice.
16. Add 3–4 tbsp ellu podi (adjust to taste — start with less).
17. Toss gently and thoroughly until every rice grain is coated with the dark sesame powder.
18. The rice will turn grey-black from the sesame.
19. Taste for salt (the podi already has salt).
20. Serve warm or at room temperature with papad or pickle.
21. Ellu sadam has a distinctive strong sesame flavor — serve smaller portions.

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