Milagu Seeraga Sadam

Name: Milagu Seeraga Sadam
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: south_indian
Ingredients: 1 cup raw rice (short grain or sona masuri, rinsed and soaked); 2.5 cup water (for cooking rice); 0.5 tsp salt; 2 tsp black peppercorns; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tbsp ghee; 2 tbsp cashews (halved); 1 tsp urad dal; 1 tsp chana dal; 10 pcs curry leaves; 1 pinch asafoetida

RATING

4.4/5(73)

TASTE SCORE

7/10

Fragrant South Indian pepper cumin rice with warm spices, curry leaves, and a gentle heat that lingers. It is simple, comforting, and perfect as a small rice dish in a larger meal.

PREP

10m

COOK

20m

SERVES

1 KATORI

269 cal

SERVINGS

METHOD · 7 STEPS

prep · ~15 min
Rinse and soak the rice.
Wash the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it in fresh water for 15 minutes. Drain well before cooking.
boil · ~15 min
Cook the rice until fluffy.
1.Bring the water to a boil in a pot.
2.Add the drained rice and salt, then stir once.
3.Cover and cook on low heat until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
4.Spread the cooked rice on a plate or wide bowl and let it cool slightly so the grains stay separate.
TIPSlightly cooled rice mixes better with the spice tempering and does not turn mushy.
prep · ~2 min
Crush the pepper and cumin.
Coarsely crush the black peppercorns and cumin seeds using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Keep the texture slightly coarse for better flavor and bite.
temper · ~4 min
Make the tempering.
1.Heat the ghee in a wide pan over medium heat.
2.Add the cashews and cook until lightly golden.
3.Add the urad dal and chana dal and cook until golden and aromatic.
4.Add the curry leaves and asafoetida and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
saute · ~1 min
Toast the crushed spices.
Add the crushed pepper and cumin to the pan and sauté for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant. Keep the heat low so the spices do not burn.
TIPDo not over-toast the pepper, or it can turn bitter.
mix · ~2 min
Mix the rice with the tempering.
Add the cooked rice to the pan and gently toss until every grain is coated with the pepper-cumin mixture and ghee. Mix just until combined.
serve
Serve the milagu seeraga sadam warm.

PRO TIPS

What to keep in mind.

7 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.

1
Drain the soaked rice well before cooking so the grains stay fluffy and separate after tempering.
2
Spread the cooked rice on a wide plate while warm; this stops carryover steam from making it sticky.
3
Crush the pepper and cumin coarsely, not to a fine powder, for better aroma and little bursts of spice.
4
Toast the pepper-cumin only on low heat for a few seconds; burnt pepper will make the rice harsh and bitter.
5
Fry cashews first, then the dals, so each gets evenly golden without the nuts over-darkening.
6
When adding curry leaves to ghee, stand back and let the moisture sputter off before stirring.
7
Use a wide pan for mixing so you can fold the rice gently without breaking the grains.