This Peanut Rice recipe / Verkadalai Sadam is prepared from roasted peanuts, red chilli’s and dry coconut grinded into powder. As all of us know peanuts are protein rich, it is a best kids friendly dish and an easy lunch box recipe also. I prefer this rice for its simplicity with a burst of flavours and as pongal festival is nearby, it would be useful for kaanum pongal rice varieties.

Peanut Rice Recipe
Peanut Rice Recipe | Verkadalai Sadam
Preparation + Cook Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 2
- Cooked Rice – 1 cup
- Turmeric Powder – 1/8 tsp (optional)
- Salt – As required
- Peanuts – 1/2 Cup
- Red Chilli – 3 to 4
- Urad Dal – 2 tsp
- Sesame Seeds – 1 tsp
- Pepper Corns – 1 tsp
- Grated Coconut / Kopparai – 2 tblsp to 1/4 cup (as preferred)
- Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
- Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp
- Jeera – 1 tsp
- Red Chilli – 1
- Hing – 1 generous pinch
- Curry leaves – 2 sprig
- Oil / Ghee – 1 tblsp
1. In a pan dry roast all the ingredients listed in the table ‘To Roast and Grind‘.
2. In the same pan, dry roast the peanuts, for 5 to 6 minutes until it cracks on the top but don’t burn it. Once it cools down, rub the peanuts between your palms and blow out the skin (I used raw peanuts, so this step is included, if you have roasted peanuts ready, go ahead with the grinding process straightly). In a mixer, add all the dry roasted ingredients.
3. Grind it to a smooth or coarse powder. Heat oil in a pan and temper with the ingredients given in the table ‘To Temper‘. Switch off flame, and add the cooked rice to the pan.
4. Now add the grinded powder to the rice. Add salt and mix everything well without breaking the rice grains.
Flavorful verkadalai sadam is ready for kaanum pongal.

Peanut Rice Recipe
1. I used basmati rice, any rice variety or even left over rice can be used for this verkadalai sadam.
2. Adjust red chilli’s and pepper corns as per your spice level for this peanut rice recipe.
3. I used dry coconut powder. If you are using fresh coconut, roast until all the moisture is absorbed, else it will become a paste / chutney while grinding.
4. This spice powder can be prepared in advance, and can be used whenever required.
5. If preferred peanuts can be grinded with skin also, but I used without the skin.
6. For variation, channa dal, cashews can be used for tempering.
7. For more flavour 2 garlic pods can be used while tempering.

Verkadalai Sadam Recipe
I love roasted peanuts, and this dish sounds delicious! 🙂
Thanks David for your comment.