Sesame seeds rice recipe – A quick, tasty and iron rich rice dish that can be eaten for a meal. To make the meal more nutritious and complete, serve this with a bowl of veggie salad and curd. Sesame seeds are highly nutritious and alkaline in nature. They have been traditionally consumed for the over all health of the body.
Sesame seeds are widely used in Indian cuisine to make ladoos, chikkis & curries. Sesame rice is one of the varieties you can make when you do not have time to make a elaborate meal.
I have used unhulled sesame seeds, you can also use black sesame. Nylon sesame & hulled sesame are low in nutrition so try using unhulled seeds.
To make sesame rice, spiced sesame seeds powder is made first. Then tempered and mixed with rice. You can make the spiced sesame powder ahead and store it in a glass jar. Just cook the rice and season it.
You can also skip the seasoning. Just drizzle the powder and sprinkle some oil. Mix it and serve. Sometimes I also pack this for the kids’ school box with some cucumber and carrot slices.
Step-by-step photos
How to make sesame seeds rice
1. On a low to medium heat, dry roast urad dal, chana dal and red chilies. Keep stirring them to prevent browning.
2. When they turn light golden, add garlic. This is optional but adds flavor. Skip it if making during festivals.
3. Add curry leaves and sesame. I have used rinsed and sun dried sesame. You can also rinse them and air dry on a cloth. Rinsing is optional. You can skip curry leaves.
4. Add cumin.
5. Add dried coconut / copra. Dried copra has more nutritional values than desiccated coconut. You can also use fresh one but the shelf life of powder will be less. Make sure you do not burn these. Turn off the stove when the sesame begin to splutter. Cool these.
6. Add them to a blender.
7. Powder it.
8. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil. Add urad dal, mustard and red chilies. Urad dal turns hard in the rice. So if you don’t like them you can also skip it.
9. When they turn golden, add curry leaves and hing. Turn off the stove.
10. Add the spice powder and salt. Do not fry this otherwise it may taste bitter. Just mix it.
11. Add cooled rice and mix. You can also add more powder and oil if needed.
Method 2 to make sesame rice.
I usually do not temper the rice. I add the sesame powder, some crushed roasted peanuts, salt and cold pressed oil to the cooled rice. Mix everything well and serve.
Serve sesame seeds rice with sliced cucumbers and carrots.
For more sesame recipes, you can check
Dates sesame ladoo
Tahini
Oats sesame ladoo
Sesame peanut ladoo
For more Rice recipes, you can check
Pulao
Ghee rice
Fried rice
Recipe
Sesame seeds rice recipe
Sesame seeds rice (Ellu sadam)
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
For powder
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 3 red chilies (use as needed)
- 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves (optional)
- 3 tbsps sesame seeds
- ½ tsp cumin (jeera)
- 2 tbsps dry coconut / copra (optional)
Other ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ¼ tsp mustard
- ½ red chili broken
- 1 pinch hing / asafoetida
- salt as needed
- 1 ½ cups cooked rice
How to make the recipe
- Cook rice grainy and not mushy. Cool it completely.
- Heat a pan on a medium flame. Add urad dal, chana dal and red chlies.
- Roast these till lightly golden.
- Add garlic, curry leaves, sesame seeds, cumin and coconut.
- Roast just until the seeds begin to splutter. Turn off the stove.
- Cool these and make a powder.
How to make sesame rice
- Add oil to a pan. Heat it. Add mustard, urad dal and red chili.
- When the dal turns golden, add curry leaves and hing.
- Turn off the heat. Add 1 tbsp of sesame powder and salt.
- Mix well.
- Add cooled and cooked rice.
- Mix well. If needed you can add more oil and spice powder.
- Serve sesame rice with sliced veggies and curd.
- Store the remaining sesame powder in a jar and use when needed.
Video
Video of sesame rice recipe
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
If you are new to cooking, follow my detailed step by step photo instructions for best results.
Pushpa Raju says
Hi Swasthi,
Why does Brown sesame seeds taste bitter. I used it in beetroot curry and after tasting , I threw away the curry as it tasted bitter.
Any idea how to select quality sesame seeds?
Thank you
swasthi says
Hi Pushpa,
Other than white Sesame seeds, all others need a good wash before using. Unhulled sesame have a slight bitter taste which goes away after washing. To wash, add them to a large bowl. Squeeze them well and wash 2 to 3 times. Drain immediately and spread in the colander. They dry very quickly. Toast them on a low to medium heat. Hope this helps
Pushpa Raju says
Hi Swasthi,
I washed the sesame seeds & toasted and used it in sesame rice preparation, it came out very good.
My 6yr old son loved it,
Thanks a ton
swasthi says
WElcome Pushpa,
Glad to know your kid liked it. Thanks for trying
🙂
hema says
my kid liked, madam for me can I use lemon juice for taste
swasthi says
Glad to know! Yes you can add lemon juice