Thuvaram Paruppu Sadam

Thuvaram paruppu sadam (rice with split pigeon peas) is a traditional flavorful one-pot meal popular in Tirunelveli. I like to prepare our favorite thuvaram paruppu sadam for lunch on a lazy weekend as it does not require much of a planning. It is so delightful when we pour coconut oil lavishly over the rice and relish with crunchy appalam & vadagam.

My mother usually prepares this palatable rice dish on the day when we all return home after a long summer vacation as it does not require to add any vegetable into this and it can be prepared with commonly available ingredients. She used to serve this rice dish with appalam, koozh vatral and vadagam. But on other days she served thuvaram paruppu sadam with stir-fried vegetables like cluster beans (kothavarai ), broad beans (avarakkai), okra (vendaikai), etc. and also with  coriander seeds chutney.

Now the recipe for delicious thuvaram paruppu sadam :

Time taken: 30 min

Ingredients:

1. Boiled Rice (puzhungal arisi) – 1 cup (200 g)
2. Red gram or split pigeon peas (thuvaram paruppu) – 1/3 cup (app. 65 g)
3. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
4. Asafoetida (hing) – a pinch
5. Salt – 1 tsp
6. Water – 3 cups (600 ml)

For Grinding:

1. Red chillies – 8 Nos
2. Coconut pieces – 5 Nos (each 1 inch)
3. Tamarind – gooseberry sized
4. Cumins – 1 tsp
5. Shallots – 10 Nos
6. Garlic – 4 pods

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For Tempering:

1. Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
3. Split urad dal – 1 tsp
4. Curry leaves – 1 or 2 sprigs
5. Vengaya Vadagam – 4 Nos.

Mise en place:

• Soak tamarind in water and leave aside.
• Wash rice & lentils and keep aside.
• Grind red chillies & cumins into a coarse powder.
• Add coconut, shallots & garlic and grind for 30 sec.
• Add soaked tamarind (after removing fibres or seeds, if any) along with soaking water and grind into a smooth paste.

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How to cook thuvaram paruppu sadam:

• Heat a pressure cooker with rice, red gram & water in medium flame.
• Add turmeric powder, salt, ground paste, asafoetida, mix them well and bring to a boil.
• Close the pressure cooker and simmer for 10 min.

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• Meanwhile heat a small pan with oil (1 tsp) in medium flame.
• Add mustard seeds & urad dal when the oil is hot.
• When mustard seeds begin to splutter add curry leaves and saute for 30 sec.
• Transfer it to a bowl and keep aside.
• Now add remaining (2 tsp) oil into the same pan and heat the pan.
• Add crumbled vengaya vadagam and fry in low flame.
• Remove them from pan before getting burnt.
• When the pressure releases from cooker add both the tempering into the rice.
• Mix them gently and serve hot with crunchy papads.

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Cooking Tips:

• If you do not have vengaya vadagam, you can add chopped shallots along with curry leaves while tempering.
• I have used rice & lentil in the ratio of 3:1, if you like you can also try at 2:1 also.
• We can also add a handful of moringa (drumstick) leaves before adding salt.