Vetrilai Poondu Sadam / Betel Leaves Rice With Garlic

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.

For the masala

• 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

Other ingredients

• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 teaspoon chana dal
• 2 tablespoon peanuts
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 inch kalpasi / stone flower
• 10 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 betel leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup seeraga samba rice

1. Cook the rice and set aside.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Add in the chopped betel leaf, salt and the ground masala. Stir for 2-3 seconds just to coat the masalas in oil.
5. Add in the cooked rice and remove from heat. Mix well to combine.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Rice
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

For the masala

• 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

Other ingredients

• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 teaspoon chana dal
• 2 tablespoon peanuts
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 inch kalpasi / stone flower
• 10 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 betel leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup seeraga samba rice

1. Cook the rice and set aside.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Add in the chopped betel leaf, salt and the ground masala. Stir for 2-3 seconds just to coat the masalas in oil.
5. Add in the cooked rice and remove from heat. Mix well to combine.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Rice
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/vetrilai-poondu-sadam/

Udaitha Muttai Kuzhambu – Odachi Oothina Mutta Kuzhambu – Eggs Poached directly in Curry Sauce. Perfect for week night dinners and best served with idli , dosa or chapati .

If you ask my husband about his favorite week night dinner, he would say that it would be dosa with Odachi Oothina Mutta Kuzhambu – Eggs Poached in Curry. The wonderful little tiny pockets of eggs smothered in gravy is something one can never get tired of. Its easy to do and liked by everyone at home. Here is how to do Udaitha Muttai Kuzhambu – Odachi Oothina Mutta Kuzhambu.

Here is the video of how to do Udaitha Muttai Kuzhambu – Odachi Oothina Mutta Kuzhambu – Eggs Poached directly in Curry Sauce.

Here is a step by step tutorial of how to do Udaitha Muttai Kuzhambu – Odachi Oothina Muttai Kuzhambu – Eggs Poached in Curry

First make a paste of fresh coconut, cashews and fennel seeds. Grind it in a small mixie jar with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Make another paste with tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the chopped onion and curry leaves. Fry till the onions are starting to brown on the edges.

Add in the ground tomato-ginger-garlic paste. Add in the salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder. Fry till the tomatoes are well cooked and the mixture is almost dry.

Add in the mint leaves and coconut-cashew-fennel paste. Add in a cup of water to the mixie jar and add back the water to the pan. Simmer for couple of minutes.

Let the flame of the stove be on low. Add in the eggs one at a time to the curry. Let it simmer with a lid covered for 10 minutes. DO NOT stir after adding the eggs. Tip: I prefer to break the eggs in a bowl and then add the egg in the bowl to the curry. I find that the eggs hold its shape better if poured from a bowl rather than breaking the eggs directly into the curry.

Add in fresh curry leaves and remove the curry from heat. Fresh curry leaves at the end gives the kuzhambu a very distinct aroma. Udaitha Muttai Kuzhambu is done.

Udaitha Muttai Kuzhambu – Odachi Oothina Muttai Kuzhambu – Eggs Poached in Curry is ready. Serve with idli , dosa or chapati .

Ingredients for Udaitha Muttai Kuzhambu

• 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 10 cashew nut
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves + 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 red onions, finely chopped ( 3/4 cup )
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 10 mint leaves, julienne
• 6 eggs

1. Make a paste of fresh coconut, cashews and fennel seeds. Grind it in a small mixie jar with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Make another paste with tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the chopped onion and curry leaves. Fry till the onions are starting to brown on the edges.
4. Add in the ground tomato-ginger-garlic paste. Add in the salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder. Fry till the tomatoes are well cooked and the mixture is almost dry.
5. Add in the mint leaves and coconut-cashew-fennel paste. Add in a cup of water to the mixie jar and add back the water to the pan. Simmer for couple of minutes.
6. Let the flame of the stove be on low. Add in the eggs one at a time to the curry. Let it simmer with a lid covered for 10 minutes.
7. Add in fresh curry leaves and remove the curry from heat. Fresh curry leaves at the end gives the kuzhambu a very distinct aroma. Udaitha Muttai Kuzhambu – Odachi Oothina Muttai Kuzhambu – Eggs Poached in Curry is ready.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Curry
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu