Recipe for Vetrilai Poondu Sadam. Variety rice preparation flavoured with betel leaves and garlic.
Betel leaves have a special place in every South Indian family. Mine ain’t different. All the gossips happen around the “Vethala-Paaku” Plate. After lunch, the family will gather around for chewing betel nut. Betel leaves will be spread with chunnam-lime and a betel nut or supari would be kept. The leaf would be folded and would go straight to the mouth as one single bite. It will be chewed and chewed along with the gossips.
This recipe for betel leaves rice is very unique and popular in the kongunad region. The rice turns so flavorful. Here is how to do Vetrilai Poondu Sadam / Betel Leaves Rice with Garlic.
Cooking the rice:
First, lets talk about the rice. We will be using seeraga samba rice. One can use basmati rice too! The whole idea is to get the texture right. Its very important that the grains of rice do not turn mushy. Here is how I do it. Wash and soak the seeraga samba / basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water. Add 1.5 cups of water to every cup of rice used. Cook in a pressure cooker, medium flame – for exactly 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. The pressure will release on its own during that time. After 15 minutes, open the cooker and fluff up the rice. Immediately, transfer the rice to 2-3 plates to cool it down completely. The rice needs to be completely cool.
Masala for the rice:
Dry roast all the masala ingredients on a low flame till brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool. Once cool, grind to a fine powder in a mixie jar. Set aside.
Tempering:
Along with the betel leaf and garlic, we use another spice called Kalpasi. Kal means rock and Pasi means green moss. Its also called as stone flower. Kalpasi is nothing but a unique variety of moss that usually grows on rocks in a moist place. They are carefully harvested and dried and used in cooking. It imparts a very earthy aroma to the dish.
Heat peanut oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the curry leaves, chana dal, peanuts, cloves and kalpasi. Add in the chopped garlic and fry on a low flame till the garlic is nicely roasted and brown.
Add in the chopped betel leaf, salt and the ground masala. Stir for 2-3 seconds just to coat the masalas in oil. Do not fry for a long time. The masalas might burn.
Add in the cooked rice and remove from heat. Mix well to combine.
Serve the rice hot with potato fry.
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorn
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon peanut oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 teaspoon chana dal
- 2 tablespoon peanuts
- 2 cloves
- ½ inch kalpasi / stone flower
- 10 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 betel leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup seeraga samba rice
- Cook the rice and set aside.
- Dry roast all the masala ingredients on a low flame till brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool. Once cool, grind to a fine powder in a mixie jar. Set aside.
- Heat peanut oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the curry leaves, chana dal, peanuts, cloves and kalpasi. Add in the chopped garlic and fry on a low flame till the garlic is nicely roasted and brown.
- Add in the chopped betel leaf, salt and the ground masala. Stir for 2-3 seconds just to coat the masalas in oil.
- Add in the cooked rice and remove from heat. Mix well to combine.
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