
Nellikai sadam, amla or Indian gooseberry rice is healthy, delicious as well as easy to prepare rice. Made with the big variety nellikai.
We always make neer nellikai, thayir pachadi with this one. Recently tried pickle with this nellikai . Recently, when I was chatting with my friend Suji, she told me she made nellikai sadam and I thought I too should try making rice and post it here. Got some fresh amla in Mustafa and made it.
I remember once I have tried making rice with arai nellikkai, but this is the first time I make it with periya nellikai. My MIL makes nellikkai thogayal by grinding nellikai with green chilli and tamarind. I thought I will try the same combo in rice but by grating the amla and replacing tamarind with lemon (idea adapted from Kamala’s corner). I loved this rice like any other variety rice and going to make often.

Nellikai sadam recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cooked rice
- 4 Nellikai/ amla Big variety
- 1 & 1/2 tsp Lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp Asafoetida
- Salt – As needed
To temper
- 1 tbsp Ghee or sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard
- 1 tsp Urad dal
- 2 tsp Chana dal
- 2 tbsp Ground nuts
- 5 Green chillies
- 1 Curry leaves sprig
- 1 Pinch Asafoetida
Instructions
- Pressure cook rice and cool down with little salt and a tsp of oil/ ghee. This makes the grains separate.
- Grate amla in a fine grater.
- Heat kadai and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table in order.
- Once the dal, nuts turns golden, add grated amla and fry for a minute in medium flame.
- Add required salt, asafoetida and mix well. Switch off the flame, add lemon juice and mix well.
- Add cooked rice and mix well. Transfer to the serving bowl.
Notes
- My amlas were very big, so I used just 3.
- Adjust green chilli as per the spice level you need and the chilli’s nature.
- Make sure ground nut is fried in low flame to ensure even cooking and gets crisp.
- Ghee and sesame oil works best for this rice.
- You can replace groundnut with cashew nuts.
Nellikai sadam method
- Pressure cook rice and cool down with little salt and a tsp of oil/ ghee. This makes the grains separate.
- Grate amla in a fine grater. Heat kadai and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table in order.
- Once the dal, nuts turns golden, add grated amla and fry for a minute in medium flame.
- Add required salt, asafoetida and mix well. Switch off the flame, add lemon juice and mix well.
- Add cooked rice and mix well. Transfer to the serving bowl.
Notes
- My amlas were very big, so I used just 3. Adjust green chilli as per the spice level u require and the chilli’s nature.
- Make sure ground nut is fried in low flame to ensure even cooking and gets crisp.
- Ghee and smesame oil works best for this rice.
- You can replace groundnut with cashew nuts.
I had it with keerai kootu and some fried vadam. You can have it with mix veg kootu also.

It's looks good and healthy. Surely I will try and update.
It's looks good and healthy. Surely I will try and update.
congrats on being chosen as the top blog… the amla rice looks super flavorful…
Hi Raji…Hearty congratulations on your blog being chosen as the top blog…you deserve it for your dedicated efforts and amazing photography skills. Wish you many more to come. .
Even my aunt ll prepare in d same way.. delicious
Even my aunt ll prepare in d same way.. delicious
Congrats raks…well deserved 🙂
You Arabitta sauce is very nice. I tried last weekend, my kids like that very much.Thank you for this nice receipe
Congrats raks! Way to go
Congrats raks! Way to go
Hearty Congrats Raji!! God bless you!! 🙂 Bookmarked for lunch tomorrow 😉
Congrats Rak on being chosen as the top blog in India. ..love yr recipes..
Congrats Raks…Nellikai sadam looks so good and delicious, nice clicks
Congrats rak, lunch superb I have bookmarked.
Congrts Raks:-) amla Sadam looks simple and yum..
I made this last week. The taste was awesome with baby corn pepper fry. Thanks for giving such a tasty and healthy receipe
Raks my cashews changed colour after i added lemon
Raks my cashews changed colour after i added lemon
I prepared it as mentioned and it turned out to be very nice. Thank you for the instructions.
Thanks 🙂
Hi, have you used raw peanuts or roasted peanuts (வறுத்த வேர்க்கடலை) for this?
I used roasted ones, but you can also use raw, just that you should add it first before dal and slow roast half way through and then add dals and roast. Hope this helps