Thenga Sadam with Desi Cow Ghee
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Traditional Tamil Nadu Recipe • Desi Cow Ghee
Thenga Sadam
Coconut rice tempered in pure desi cow ghee — a Sunday staple across Tamil Nadu homes, finished with the aroma of roasted coconut and fresh curry leaves in hot ghee.
10Min Prep
20Min Cook
3Servings
“Thenga sadam was packed in every Tamil child’s lunch box. The coconut must be freshly grated, the tempering done in real ghee, and the curry leaves must go in when the ghee is still hot enough to sputter them. That sputtering sound is how you know the ghee is right.”
Ingredients
| Cooked white rice, cooled | 2 cups |
| Fresh coconut, grated | ¾ cup |
| Sree Kumaran Desi Cow Ghee | 2 tbsp |
| Mustard seeds | 1 tsp |
| Urad dal | 1 tsp |
| Dry red chillies | 3 |
| Curry leaves | 2 sprigs |
| Cashews | 12 |
| Salt | to taste |
Method
- Heat desi cow ghee in a heavy kadai. Add cashews and fry until golden. Remove and set aside.
- In the same ghee, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add urad dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves. The hot ghee will sizzle and fill the kitchen with fragrance.
- Add grated coconut and stir on low heat for 2 minutes until it turns light golden. Do not over-roast.
- Add the cooled rice, salt and cashews. Mix gently until every grain is coated. Taste and adjust salt.
- Finish with a final drizzle of raw ghee just before serving. Eat with pappad and pickle.
Chef’s Note
The final raw drizzle of ghee on top after mixing is what separates thenga sadam from a simple dish to something deeply satisfying. The cold rice absorbs the hot ghee completely within a minute. Never skip it.
Made with Sree Kumaran Desi Cow Ghee
Pure • Traditional • No preservatives • Since 1945
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