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

Tamilnadu · Dinner

Nei Sadam (Ghee Rice)

Fragrant ghee rice cooked with whole spices, seeraga samba rice, and a generous quantity of ghee — served as a festive dinner base for Chettinad and Madurai-style gravies. The Tamil version of pulao, deeply aromatic, slightly nutty from the ghee.

🧺 Ingredients

• 2 cups seeraga samba rice (or basmati as an alternative), soaked 20 min and drained
• 3 tbsp ghee (pure — no substitutes)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 3.5 cups water (for seeraga samba) or 3 cups (for basmati)
• 1 tsp salt
• Handful each: fresh mint leaves, coriander leaves
• 1 piece cinnamon (4 cm)
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small piece mace (javitri)
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts, halved — fried in ghee until golden
• 2 tbsp raisins — fried in ghee until puffed
• Toasting the rice in ghee for 2 minutes before adding water is the technique that gives ghee rice its distinct texture.
• Seeraga samba rice needs slightly more water than basmati (3.5 cups vs 3 cups) due to its starchier composition.

👩‍🍳 How to make Nei Sadam

1. Heat ghee and fry whole spices (medium heat): Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot (or rice cooker base for the stovetop method). Add all whole spices — cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, bay leaf, mace. Fry for 45 seconds until they blooms and the kitchen fills with warm spice fragrance.
2. Fry onions (medium heat): Add sliced onions. Fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until golden-brown (not just translucent — golden adds flavour and colour to the rice).
3. Add ginger and green chillies (medium heat): Add ginger paste and slit green chillies. Fry 1 minute.
4. Add soaked and drained rice (medium heat): Add the rice. Toss gently in the ghee-spice-onion mixture for 2 minutes — the rice grains should become slightly translucent and smell nutty from the ghee toasting. This coating prevents the grains from sticking together.
5. Add water, mint, coriander, and salt (medium-high heat): Add water, salt, mint, and coriander. Stir once. Bring to a rolling boil on medium-high. Reduce to the lowest heat setting. Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes without opening.
6. Check and rest: After 15 minutes, lift the lid — all water should be absorbed. The rice should be fluffy, with the grains separate. If any water remains, cover and cook on low for 5 more minutes. Turn off heat. Rest covered for 10 minutes — this steam-finishing step is critical for fluffy grains.

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