Peanut Rice Recipe South Indian Style

About Peanut Rice Recipe

Peanut Rice is one of the many rice based dishes that originate from the South Indian Cuisine. A spiced, nutty and fragrant peanut powder is made and mixed with cooked rice. There are many ways this peanut powder is made with spices, herbs, and, with or without the inclusion of sesame seeds and coconut. This ground peanut spice mix decides the taste and flavors of the dish. The USP of my Peanut Rice recipe is this ground powder of roasted peanuts, coconut, sesame seeds, lentils and spices. It is also made without onion and garlic. This powder, which is added to the cooked rice, is also known as Verkadalai Podi in Tamil and has a nice nutty and earthy flavor to it. Making the dish with leftover rice is also possible. If not leftover rice, you can save time by cooking the rice in a pressure cooker. This is what I’ve done too in this Peanut Rice recipe. If you have ample time at hand, use a pot or pan to cook the rice. The choice of variety of rice depends on you as this dish can be made with any type of rice. You can also use basmati rice if you like. In this recipe, the roasted peanuts are powdered. However, if you want some chunkiness and crunchiness, coarsely grind them. Alternatively, you can reserve about 2 tablespoons of roasted peanuts and powder the remaining. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts later to the rice while mixing. Keep in mind that you don’t have to grind the peanuts too much, as then these nuts will release their oil. If the podi becomes pasty due to the oil released from the peanuts or groundnuts, the rice will not taste good. You can also increase the number of dried red chilies for a spicier rice. Enjoy this Peanut Rice as a main course or side dish. If serving as a main, accompany with some raita like Onion Raita, Boondi Raita or Cucumber Raita. It also pairs well with a fresh salad made with raw veggies like cucumber, onions, tomatoes, beets, carrots etc. You could also pack the rice in a lunch box.

How to make Peanut Rice

Cook Rice

1. Rinse 1 cup rice couple of times in water and then soak in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Later, drain all the water and add the rice and ½ teaspoon salt or as required, in a 3 litre pressure cooker.
3. Add 1.75 to 2 cups water or add as required for regular white rice. For white rice, pressure cook for 1 to 2 whistles on medium heat. If using hand pounded rice, then add 2.25 to 2.5 cups water. Pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles. If using brown rice, then add 3 cups water. Soak brown rice for about 30 to 45 minutes. For brown rice pressure cook for 8 to 9 whistles on medium heat.
4. When the pressure settles down naturally, remove the lid.
5. Take the rice in a large bowl or plate and let the rice grains cool completely. If there are lumps in the rice, break them.

Prepare Peanut Powder

6. Heat a small frying pan or a kadai. Keep the heat to a medium-low and add ½ cup peanuts.
7. Stirring often, begin to roast the peanuts.
8. Roast till the peanuts become crisp. You will see some blisters and black spots on the peanuts. Cool a few peanuts and taste them. There should not be even a slight rawness in the peanuts.
9. Remove the roasted peanuts on a plate and keep aside.
10. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon chana dal.
11. Stirring continuously, roast chana dal on low heat till the lentils changes color, turns golden and fragrant.
12. Remove the roasted chana dal and keep aside.
13. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon urad dal.
14. Stirring continuously, roast urad dal on low heat till the lentils turns golden and fragrant
15. Then, add 3 dried red chilies (halved and seeds removed) and 3 tablespoons desiccated coconut.
16. Mix and continue to roast, stirring continuously.
17. Roast coconut till it is light golden.
18. Now, turn off the heat and add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
19. Then, add 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds and mix well. Keep this mixture in the pan till it cools down. Sesame seeds can be skipped. If you want more flavor of sesame seeds, you can add 2 to 3 tablespoons.
20. Take the roasted coconut, urad lentils and spice mixture in a small grinder jar or a high speed blender. Also add roasted chana dal, which were kept aside.
21. Grind in small seconds to a coarse mixture. You can even use pulse option of the mixer-grinder and pulse at intervals of 3 to 4 seconds.
22. Then, add the roasted peanuts.
23. Using the pulse option for some seconds, grind to a semi-fine powder. Do not grind too much as then peanuts will release their oil.

Make Peanut Rice

24. Add the prepared peanut powder to the cooked rice.
25. Add more salt as per taste.
26. Mix very well.

Prepare Tempering

27. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil (gingelly oil) in a small pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
28. Let them crackle.
29. When the mustard seeds crackle, add 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Turn off the heat and stir.
30. Add the tempering with the oil to the Peanut Rice mixture.
31. Mix again.
32. Serve Peanut Rice as a main course or side dish. You can pair it with raita or plain Curd and even a fresh veggie salad if you like.

Scaling & Storage

The peanut rice recipe is easily scalable for making larger batches. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for a day only. To reheat, gently sauté the rice in a pan or steam for a few minutes until warm in a steamer or an in an Instant Pot.

Expert Tips

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Bisi Bele Bath Recipe (Karnataka Style) Lemon Rice (Tangy Flavorful Rice) Curd Rice Recipe | Daddojanam | Thayir Sadam Ellu Sadam | South Indian Sesame Rice This Peanut Rice recipe from the archives first published on February 2018 has been republished and updated on October 2023.