Arisi Paruppu Sadam Recipe – Coimbatore Style with step by step pics and a short Youtube video. If you like my video, please do SUBSCRIBE to my channel ‘Asmallbite’. This is a popular main dish from the Coimbatore or kongunaadu region of Tamilnadu. It literally translates, dal rice or rice with lentils, a truly comfortable meal, nourishing and wholesome food that we can prepare within 25 minutes. Traditionally, parboiled rice is used to prepare this dish, basmati or jeeraga samba rice does not suit. This rice is not very mushy like Sambar Sadham, the texture is slightly dry with separate grains and it goes well with Potato Fry or Raw Banana Fry. Coming to the interesting part, it is popularly known as ‘kavundar biryani‘ as mentioned by actor Sivakumar in his book named ‘Rajapattai’. This is a very famous one-pot dish especially in the community called kavundar who form the major population in Coimbatore in those days.
If interested, check my 100+ Pongal Festival Recipes, Moong Dal Khichdi Recipe too.
Check my other Rice Varieties like
1. Tomato Rice / Thakkali Sadham
2. Coriander Rice / Kothamalli Sadham
3. Bisibele Bath
4. Sesame Rice / Ellu Sadham
5. Curry Leaves Rice / Karuvepillai Sadham
6. Lemon Chitranna Karnataka Style

Kongunadu Style Paruppu Sadam

Arisi Paruppu Sadam Recipe - Coimbatore Style
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ML, 1 tsp = 5 ML
- 1 Cup Rice / அரிசி Heaped
- ½ Cup Toor Dal / துவரம்பருப்பு
- 10 Shallots / Small Onion / சின்ன வெங்காயம்
- 6 Flakes Garlic / பூண்டு
- 2 Tomato / தக்காளி
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder / மஞ்சள்தூள்
- 2 tsp Sambar Powder / சாம்பார் தூள் Link for Homemade Sambar powder
- Salt / உப்பு As Required
- 3½ Cups Water / தண்ணீர்
To Temper
- 2 tbsp Oil / Ghee / எண்ணெய் Link for Homemade Ghee
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds / கடுகு
- ½ tsp Jeera / சீரகம்
- 4 to 5 Red Chilli / வரமிளகாய்
- 1 Sprig Curry Leaves / கருவேப்பில்லை
- 1 Generous Pinch Hing / பெருங்காயம்
Instructions
- Measure the rice, dal, and keep by side. Parboiled rice gives a nice taste, basmati rice, raw rice, or jeeraga samba rice does not work for this recipe.
- Rinse the rice, dal well and soak it with water for 30 minutes. Soaking it in water lends softness and easy cooking to the rice.
- Drain the water completely from the rice and dal.
- Chop the shallots, garlic flakes, and tomato roughly. I suggest using shallots / small onion and country / naatu tomato for a traditional taste, not the regular onions or hybrid tomatoes.
- Also, measure the turmeric powder, sambar powder, required salt, and keep by side.
- The ingredients kept in the pic are 'To Temper'.
- In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of oil or ghee. Then, add the mustard seeds, once it starts to splutter, add the jeera, red chilli, curry leaves and sprinkle the hing. Give a quick stir till you get a nice aroma.
- Add the shallots and saute till translucent. Then, add the tomatoes and just saute it roughly, no need to make it mushy.
- Add the turmeric powder, sambar powder, required salt and give a quick stir.
- Now, pour 3.5 cups of water.
- Once the water starts to boil, add the drained rice and dal.
- Pressure cook it for 3 whistles. Don,t cook more than that, as this dish is not very mushy like Sambar Sadham, the texture is slightly dry with separate grains.
- Once the pressure subsides by itself, open the lid. Just fluff it up with a fork and if preferred, drizzle few drops of ghee.Serve this Arisi Paruppu Sadam Recipe - Coimbatore Style, with Arbi Fry and Koozh Vadam.
Video
Notes
Tips for Coimbatore Style Arisi Paruppu Sadam
1. Use parboiled rice only to get the authentic taste. Basmati rice, raw rice, or jeeraga samba rice won't suit for this Arisi Paruppu Sadam Recipe - Coimbatore Style. 2. Rice and dal quantity can be altered as per your preference. 3. Soaking the rice and dal is a must. As it gives softness to the rice and helps in easy cooking. 4. Seasoning / Tempering in ghee lends more aroma to the rice. 5. Use shallots and country / naatu tomato for more taste. This rice won't taste that much good with regular onion or hybrid / Bangalore tomatoes. 6. Don't skip the garlic, as this is the main flavouring agent to the rice. 7. Adjust red chilli as per spice level required for you. 8. For variation, add 1/2 cup of assorted veggies while sauteeing. But adjust the number of red chillies, sambar powder and salt. 9. Pressure cook the rice for 3 whistles only, not more as this rice is not very mushy like Sambar Sadham, the texture is slightly dry with separate grains. 10. It tastes great when served hot with drizzled on top, as it turns little dry by time.

Arisi Parappu Sadam Recipe
Method for Arisi Paruppu Sadam Recipe
1. Measure the rice, dal, and keep by side. Parboiled rice gives a nice taste, basmati rice, raw rice, or jeeraga samba rice does not work for this recipe.
2. Rinse the rice, dal well and soak it with water for 30 minutes. Soaking it in water lends softness and easy cooking to the rice.
3. Drain the water completely from the rice and dal.
4. Chop the shallots, garlic flakes, and tomato roughly. I suggest using shallots / small onion and country / naatu tomato for a traditional taste, not the regular onions or hybrid tomatoes.
5. Also, measure the turmeric powder, sambar powder, required salt, and keep by side.
6. The ingredients kept in the pic are ‘To Temper‘.
7. In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of oil or ghee. Then, add the mustard seeds, once it starts to splutter, add the jeera, red chilli, curry leaves and sprinkle the hing. Give a quick stir till you get a nice aroma.
8. Add the shallots and saute till translucent. Then, add the tomatoes and just saute it roughly, no need to make it mushy.
9. Add the turmeric powder, sambar powder, required salt and give a quick stir.
10. Now, pour 3.5 cups of water.
11. Once the water starts to boil, add the drained rice and dal.
12. Pressure cook it for 3 whistles. Don,t cook more than that, as this dish is not very mushy like Sambar Sadham, the texture is slightly dry with separate grains.
13. Once the pressure subsides by itself, open the lid. Just fluff it up with a fork and if preferred, drizzle few drops of ghee.
Serve this Arisi Paruppu Sadam Recipe – Coimbatore Style, with Arbi Fry and Koozh Vadam.

Coimbatore Style Paruppu Sadam
Leave a Reply