South Indian Nellikai Sadam or Amla Rice - Best way to use Amla in your diet. Easy lunch box recipe under 30 mins. No Onion, No Garlic Recipe and a must try dish when fresh amla is in season.
Nellikai Sadam or South Indian Amla Rice is an easy variety rice recipe made with cooked rice, nellikai or amla, lentils and spices. Delicious way to include amla or nellikai as part of your diet.
Amla is quite sour as compared to lime with a slightly bitter taste. However, when mixed with lentils, peanuts, chilies and spices, the sourness and bitterness is balanced. In fact, it tastes quite similar to lemon rice.
Nellikai sadam contains No Onion, No Garlic and can be prepped a day early, making it perfect for busy weekdays or weeknight meals.
South Indian Variety Rice recipes are easy lunch box recipes that require little effort. All you need is cooked rice and basic pantry essentials.
While the recipe uses fresh amla or nellikai, feel free to use frozen Nellikai if you do not have access to fresh ones. Do read the recipe notes for full details.
If you love Amla, do try Instant Amla Pickle which is a South Indian Style preparation.
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Health Benefits of Amla
- A great source of Vitamin C
- Helps in arresting Hair Fall and improves hair health
- Increases Immunity
- Diabetic Friendly
- Great for skin health
How to make Nellikai Sadam or Amla Rice
Rinse and grate nellikai or amla using a box grater. Discard the seed. Keep this aside.
Heat a pan, add sesame oil, mustard seeds, chana dal (bengal gram dal). Once mustard crackles, add finely chopped green chilies and whole dry red chili. Next add asafoetida or hing and curry leaves. Saute until the dal appears golden brown and fragrant.
Add the grated nellikai or amla and saute for 2-3 minutes until the amla absorbs the flavors.
Next add turmeric powder and roasted peanuts / groundnuts.
Add cooked rice and salt to taste. Mix well. Reduce heat and let it cook for 1-2 mins.
Switch off heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Side Dish Suggestions
South Indian Variety rice tastes best with Potato Roast.
Serve it with thayir pachadi or Raita. Beetroot Raita, Onion Raita, Vendakkai Pachadi (Okra) are some of our favorites.
Serve nellikai sadam with papad and pickles on the side.
South Indian Rice Recipes
Thakkali Sadam (Tomato Rice)
Raw Mango Rice (Manga Sadam)
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Nellikai Sadam | South Indian Amla Rice | Gooseberry Rice
Ingredients
- 4 Amla or Indian Gooseberry
- 1 tablespoon Roasted Groundnuts or peanuts
- 2 cups Cooked Rice
- 2 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds or Rai
- ½ teaspoon Chana Dal
- 1-2 Chopped Green Chilies
- 1-2 Whole Red chillies
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- A pinch of Asafoetida or hing
- Few Curry Leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and grate nellikai or amla using a box grater. Keep aside.
- Heat a pan, add sesame oil, mustard seeds, chana dal (bengal gram dal). Once mustard crackles, add finely chopped green chilies and whole dry red chili.
- Next add asafoetida or hing and curry leaves. Saute until the dal appears golden brown and fragrant.
- Add the grated nellikai or amla and saute for 2-3 minutes until the amla absorbs the flavors.
- Next add turmeric powder and roasted peanuts / groundnuts.
- Add cooked rice and salt to taste. Mix well. Reduce heat and let it cook for 1-2 mins.
- Switch off heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Cooked Rice - Short grain (sona masuri, kolam, ponni) or Basmati Rice can be used for the recipe. Leftover rice or day old rice can be used. Before using leftover rice, splash few drops of water and re-heat in a microwave. This will ensure that the rice does not taste dry and tough.
- Traditional South Indian cooking uses sesame oil or gingelly oil. Feel free to substitute with any neutral cooking oil.
- For a 100% gluten-free recipe, do not add hing or asafoetida. If you are allergic to peanuts, avoid it.
- Feel free to adjust the quantities of red chilies and green chilies used for the rice recipe.
- Frozen Amla - In US and other countries, fresh amla is difficult to source. In that case, use frozen amla. Thaw the amla, grate it and proceed with the recipe.
- The recipe is Vegan, soy-free.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
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