Karuveppilai Sadam is a healthy and easy, no onion no garlic variety rice made using curry leaves. It is quick to make and pack in lunch boxes to school or the office. You can pair this curry leaf rice with any crunchy chips or any dry vegetable curry of your choice for a sumptuous and wholesome lunch.
Usually, I make and store curry leaf powder in small quantities just for me to mix with rice and eat for lunch, as no one at home is really fond of curry leaves rice.
But when MIL visited us last month she saw this karuveppilai sadam recipe in the Southern Flavors book by Mrs Chandra Padamanabhan, she was very much impressed and asked me to try it immediately.
It turned out so flavourful that the family members loved it so much, just like this karuveppilai poondu kulambu and curry leaf peanut idli powder.
Since then, I make this karuveppilai sadam often and the lunch boxes always come back empty.
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About karuveppilai sadam
Karuveppilai is called ‘Curry Leaves’ in English and ‘Kadi Patta’ in Hindi.
These leaves are a good source of Iron, and it is known to increase your haemoglobin levels if you are anaemic.
They are also used to make hair oils to promote good hair growth.
While curry leaves are mostly used for tempering dishes like chutney, kulambu, rasam, poriyal in South Indian cuisine which elevates the flavour and taste of any dish, they are mostly picked out and discarded.
Using the leaves to make karuveppilai sadam, we can fully make use of the benefits of the curry leaves.
As this karuveppilai sadam is a no onion no garlic recipe, it is apt to make for fasting days.
Ingredients
Rice: I have used freshly cooked white rice to make karuveppilai sadam. You can also use leftover rice after reheating it to prepare this curry leaf rice.
Spice paste: We need to make a fresh paste using karuveppilai or curry leaves along with spices like urad dal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, black pepper, dry red chillies and tamarind.
Tempering: This significantly increases the flavour of the rice. We use mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and red chillies that are roasted in oil.
Nuts: I have used cashew nuts that are roasted in oil to make them crisp. You can also use peanuts or totally skip them also.
Other ingredients: Turmeric powder, oil to cook and salt to taste.
Please refer to the recipe card for the correct measurement of ingredients.
How to make karuveppilai sadam
1. Heat a pan and dry roast karuveppilai till there is no moisture.
2. Heat oil in the pan and temper with urad dal, coriander seeds, whole dry red chillies, peppercorn, and fenugreek.
3. Roast till the dal becomes golden brown and the spices become aromatic. Drain into a bowl and set aside.
4. Add the tamarind and roast for about 2 mins over low flame for it to lose its moisture. It will become slightly crisp.
5. Add the curry leaves, and roasted spices and grind to a powder.
6. Add tamarind with little water and grind to a paste and set aside.
7. Heat oil and add tempering ingredients - mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal and whole red chillies. Sauté for a min.
8. Add the ground spice paste, turmeric powder and salt.
9. Mix well to combine and cook till the raw smell disappears.
10. Add cooked rice to the pan.
11. Mix well for the rice to combine well with the paste.
12. Add roasted cashew nuts and toss well. Press the rice tightly into the pan for the flavours to meld well.
Karuveppilai sadam or curry leaf rice is ready.
Recipe Notes
Make sure that the tamarind is without any seed or strings as it may spoil the mixer blade while grinding.
Use the required quantity of oil to prevent the rice from drying out after cooking it.
Nutrition Profile
This recipe is
- Dairy-Free
- Diabetic-Friendly
- Egg-Free
- Gluten-Free
- Soy-Free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Substitutions
You can use cooked brown rice or millets instead of cooked white rice.
If you prefer the rice to be rich in flavour, then you can cook the entire rice in ghee instead of oil. But I prefer using either gingelly oil or groundnut oil.
Variations
Instead of roasting tamarind, if you have tamarind paste, then you can 2 teaspoon of it directly to the mixie jar along with other ingredients just before grinding.
You can also ½ inch piece of ginger and 4 to 5 garlic pods while roasting the ingredients for the paste if you like both flavours.
- Nut Free - Skip adding cashew nuts if you are allergic to nuts.
- Spicy - Add more red chillies while roasting for the paste if you prefer a really spicy karuveppilai sadam.
Shelf Life
To save time, you can make the paste ahead or during the weekend, just like how you can make puliyodharai paste and store it in the fridge.
It stays fresh for over a week or 10 days. Simply mix the required quantity of paste with rice to pack in the lunch box or for a quick lunch.
Storage
You need to finish off the rice mixed with the paste on the same day itself. You cannot store the rice in the fridge and reheat it to use later, as the rice will taste bitter sometimes because of the karuveppilai.
FAQs
We use only fresh curry leaves to make this curry leaf rice. It is best if you use a mix of tender and mature curry leaves to make the best-tasting karuveppilai sadam.
Rinse the leaves and spread them on a clean cloth to dry them out before using them. Do not soak the curry leaves in water as it will make the leaves dark or black.
I have used freshly cooked raw rice. You can use leftover cooked rice. Cooked boiled rice and brown rice can also be used.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this rice with chips, vadams or appalams, and you can also serve this with these dry vegetable curries to make a wholesome no onion no garlic meal.
More Rice Recipes
See more Rice Recipes
Recipe
Karuveppilai Sadam - Spicy Curry Leaf Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 whole dry red chillies
- 2 to 3 tablespoon halved cashew nuts or peanuts
- 3 tablespoon oil or ghee
- salt to taste
For the Spice Paste:
- 1 cup karuveppilai or curry leaves tightly packed
- 2 tablespoon urad dal
- 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 to 5 whole dry red chillies
- 1 goose berry sized tamarind
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
Make karuveppilai paste
- Heat a pan and when hot, add curry leaves. Roast over medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it loses moisture. Keep tossing frequently till the aroma arises. Transfer to a plate to cool down.
- To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add urad dal, coriander seeds, whole dry red chillies, peppercorn and fenugreek. Roast till the dal turns golden brown and the spices become aromatic, taking care not to burn them. Drain into a bowl and keep aside.
- Add the tamarind to the pan and roast for about 2 mins over low flame for it to lose its moisture. It will become slightly crisp. Switch off the stove and let the tamarind cool down in the pan itself.
- In a dry mixie jar add the roasted spices and curry leaves and run for a minute till it is coarse.
- Add the tamarind piece and run for another minute. Add a little water and grind to a fine paste and keep aside.
Make karuveppilai sadam
- Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add the halved cashew nuts and roast till golden brown. Drain and set aside.
- Now add mustard seeds, when they splutter add cumin seeds, urad dal, and whole red chillies. Sauté for 1 min, or till the dal turns golden brown.
- Add the ground karuveppilai paste, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well to combine.
- Sauté for 2 minutes over low flame for the raw smell to disappear.
- Add cooked rice and mix well till there are no white patches of rice. Add the roasted cashews and toss well. Pack tightly by pressing the rice into the pan for the flavours to meld well.
- Karuveppilai Sadam is ready to be served or to be packed in a lunch box.
Priya Yallapantula
I am probably going to make it today itself as I have a few curry leaves ready to be used 🙂
Rosh
Such a flavorful dish! Nice clicks.
Do contribute some of your wonderful recipes to my ongoing event. Would be delighted 🙂
Farah
looks lovely!....cant wait to try out this recipe...looks new to me! love the pics!
Anjali Bapna Shukla
I have always loved all South-Indian varieties of rice for their strong flavors and aroma, and here's one in the front...what a treat to the eyes!! 🙂
Priya Sreeram
neat clicks radhika; looks yum
Lena Rashmin Raj
woww... its a complete meal.. loved the presentation..im getting aroma of curryleaves here 🙂
Roshu
Interesting and innovative......nice clicks......
Pasta And Paratha
The curry leaf rice looks delicious..
Valarmathi Sanjeev
Flavourful and healthy rice...looks awesome and yummy. perfect lunch box rice.
Soundarya V
Tried your cauliflower kurma and liked it..Karuveppilai Sadam looks delicious and easy...
Radhika
Thanks for trying out Soundarya and coming back to post the response. Keep visiting.:)
Mélange
For sure this will make a place in kid's tiffin..So lovely and flavored one..Needless to say how fantastic the clicks are !
Vidhya
This rice should have tasted so flavorful and delicious with all that curry leaves added to make this.
anusha praveen
hmmm yummy rice radhi.. i get attracted to curry leaves like a fire fly does to fire 🙂
srividhya Ravikumar
Lovely colour....nice.
Treat and Trick
I love to try different flavor of rice and this is one of them. Simply fabulous!
Rekha shoban
i make powder and store it..but version is interesting will try it!
Anu
Lovely colorful,healthy rice. Nice clicks.
Archana
Wow this is delicious and full of flavours
sangee vijay
wow..paakkave saapidanumnu pola erukku Radhika, very nice preparation...healthy n yummy lunch box recipe...thanks for linking to the event!!
Rasi
Looks very tempting & happy holy and women's day to u too!
Fathima
Looks Wonderful. I love Curry Leaves. Thanks for the recipe.
Vimitha Anand
Flavorful rice variety
Nancy Josland Dalsin
I love this recipe, will try it soon!
faseela
super yummy n healthy rice Radhi....
maha
awesome..u made it perfectly........vl try this....
Maha
Prathibha
the rice is flavorful...looks very nice n a gud color..
Chandrani
Very flavorful yummy rice.
Kaveri
A flavorful and aromatic rice...looks delicious
Hema
Looks so good, shud have been very flavorful too,,
meena
wow this does look yummy
happy holi and happy woman's day to all the women
Suja Manoj
Can imagine the flavor..yummy rice
Charu Srivastava
yummy looking innovative dish!
Kanan
wow. I never made this type of rice. looks fantastic. I ll give it a shot