Neeragaram or Pazhayathu is a nutritious breakfast made by soaking rice overnight and serving it accompaniments like adding buttermilk, raw onion, green chilies, pickle etc. Neeragaram is the diet in most of the South Indian villagers which keep them energized throughout the day and keeps them cool as well as they have work in the scorching sun throughout the day.
I never had a thought of posting neeragaram here. The full credit for this post goes to my best friends hubby who suggested me to post this. I kept postponing it for the reason that I didn’t have any mud pots. Last week I got them and went ahead making and clicking this.
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About Neeragaram / Palaya Soru
Neer + Aagaram – Water based food. This is the diet in most of the south indian villagers and farmers house which keep them energized throughout the day and this keeps them cool as well as they have work in the scorching sun throughout the day. They purposely make more rice than needed so that they can use the leftover rice to make this for next day morning breakfast.
I should admit this is almost forgotten in the fast paced life where in readymade porridge’s and cereals are used to our convenience. he crunch in the onions and the hot spicy chilies makes it the best combination. This is mostly had for breakfast and it is very much filling that you will not feel hungry for the next 4-5 hours for sure.
This is the best natural summer coolant for breakfast. So what are you still waiting for?! Don’t throw the leftover rice and enjoy this cool neeragaram.
Similar Recipes
Neeragaram Ingredients
- Leftover rice – When you have leftover rice, soak in water overnight.
- Buttermilk – Curd is mixed with water, whipped well to make butter milk. This buttermilk is added to soaked rice and served.
- Salt – Salt is added for taste.
- Accompaniments – Pickle, raw small onion, green chilies are the main side dishes. You can serve it with fish curry or any tamarind based curry.
How to make Neeragaram Step by Step
1.Soak the leftover rice in immersing level of water overnight. Drain little water next day morning then add buttermilk / curd. Mash it well with a ladle. Add little more water to bring it to porridge consistency.
2.Add required salt, finely chopped onion and green chilies, mix well. Pour into mud pots and allow it to rest for a while. Serve it.
Pickle is the best combination for this else fish curry is an apt combo especially the one made the previous day.
Expert Tips
- Left over rice is best to be used for this neeragaram. If you are using fresh rice, give some 2-3 hours resting time then soak it.
- Actually neeragaram is just water and rice but we can add buttermilk/curd to enhance the taste.
- Mud pots are natural coolant so serving in it gives a cool feeling.
- You can also add coriander, curry leaves to garnish and for extra flavor.
- I removed the seeds almost fully in green chilies to avoid the spice level in it.
- No need to refrigerate it.
Serving and Storage
As we are using leftover rice it should served the next day morning itself. Soak it overnight to make it for next day breakfast.
The below capture was just for the nativity feel so asked the helper of our apartment to pose for this and she did it with so much of enthusiasm.
If you have any more questions about this Neeragaram Recipe do mail me at [email protected]. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .
Tried this Neeragaram Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
📖 Recipe Card
Neeragaram Recipe | Pazhayathu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup left over rice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 4 small onion chopped roughly
- 1 green chilies chopped finely
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the leftover rice in immersing level of water overnight. Drain little water next day morning then add buttermilk / curd. Mash it well with a ladle. Add little more water to bring it to porridge consistency.
- Add required salt, finely chopped onion and green chilies, mix well. Pour into mud pots and allow it to rest for a while. Serve it.
- Pickle is the best combination for this else fish curry is an apt combo especially the one made the previous day.
Notes
- Left over rice is best to be used for this neeragaram. If you are using fresh rice, give some 2-3 hours resting time then soak it.
- Actually neeragaram is just water and rice but we can add buttermilk/curd to enhance the taste.
- Mud pots are natural coolant so serving in it gives a cool feeling.
- You can also add coriander, curry leaves to garnish and for extra flavor.
- I removed the seeds almost fully in green chilies to avoid the spice level in it.
- No need to refrigerate it.
PJ
Awesome post Sharmi.Loved the clicks.Very apt coolant for this season 🙂
Pavithra Elangovan
Unbeatable one for summer, loooooooooooooove this a lot 🙂
Suja Manoj
Comfort food,looks yummy
Priya
Wat a fabulous post,nothing will beat this neeragaram, am missing it a lot.
Chitra
wow!! its really amazing.No one would thought of this recipe.Nice click.
Swetha
Lovely shrami, i am reminded of my thatha who user to have small onions with curd rice. I have never made/tasted neeragam though.
bsrini1985
you can try it once u came to tamil nadu villages. its very tasty and if you take a single glass stomach get full and chill .
Swetha
Lovely sharmi, reminded of my thatha who used to eat curd rice with onions.never tried neeragam though, i am tempted now.
Swetha
And stunning pictures, the rustic touch is super! Really amazed at your enthu level!' 🙂
Subhie Arun
lovely sharmi….awesome clicks!
Chitra
indha combination aa adichikka mudiyathu.. my fav 🙂 i used to have it regularly in summer. super coolant 🙂
Mahi
//There were no grass in our apt surroundings, so went 2 streets ahead to click this with the grass. This is the first time I took all the materials outside to click and I thoroughly enjoyed the fun with 2-3 people staring at me ;)// :))))) கலக்கறீங்க ஷர்மி! என்ன சொல்லன்னு தெரியலை,வார்த்தயே வரல்ல! 😉
எல்லாப் படங்களும் அழகா இருக்கு!
Madhavi
Greatttt post..loved it 🙂
Paaka Shaale
I have heard a lot about this dish but I have tried making it or tasted it. Now that I know the whole procedure, guess I can try making this now 🙂
ANU
wow awesome ….i remember this and still crave for it as always! reminds me of my mom!:)
Shweta in the Kitchen
Hi Sharmi, never tried this dish before but looks simple & perfect for this hot summer. Cant end without mentioning the fantastic clicks – worth the 2 streets walk 🙂
Jingalala
Sharmi, somebody should give you an award for this post. Truly. You wont believe, I had the same idea of posting it in my blog and you did it! The world's best post this is! Love it Sharmi!
Sushma Madhuchandra
At our place, normally pregnant ladies are made to eat this dish as it cools them in the morning!
RAKS KITCHEN
I love this a lot, especially that water…We usually have this in summer with variety of vathals like chilli,sundakkai,kothavarangai vathals…lovee it 🙂 the pics are cool…!
Akila
First of all hats off to ur guts to post this recipe…. Always people think posting these kind of recipes is not that much important… But the health benefits of these are so good…. When I was in India, my grandma used to prepare this n I love this to eat… But for my kids when I prepare n give they see this strange…
Ur pictures are awesome….
Arch
Sharmi, I am all gusto about your enthusiasm for the click! Amma still makes this at home:)Your maid is a natural hand model!
Shobha Kamath
Looks yummy! This is new to me. Will surely try it out.
sweet
Hello…
I like this post. I would like to suggest other variation to prepare this "pazhaya saatham" which is my favorite. To prepare this, a spl technique is there. Make rice with par boiled. Should not boil more and smashy. Keep it to cool. Then soak over nite in water with required salt and green curry leaves. Next day morning u can eat as such. It will be delicious. Coconut thuvayal is best combination for this.
radha
I like the pictures here. And what an ideal food for the hot season!
Apputty
well captured
San
Neeragaram is a very good coolant for the season. Your model has posed without any reluctance, that's great. Nice pics.
Recipe World
Great snaps… Looks very tempting..
Vardhini
When we were kids, leftover rice soaked in water with mor milagai was our favorite. You carried stuff across 2 streets for the pic .. Sharmi .. I am just lazy to carry stuff outside my house these days and looking for shortcuts 🙂
dassana
i have had neeragaram whilst my travels in tamil nadu.
just loved the fact that you went 2 streets ahead to click the pics… way to go girl…
i know how onlookers stop and look at the photographer when they click photos, especially food photographers.
i always avoid clicking photos in restaurants and people just start staring at you as if… what on earth this girl is doing… why she is taking food photographs instead of eating it 🙂
M D
Beautiful!
Shabitha Karthikeyan
Wonderful post. I used to have this summer during when I was young. Wow you went 2 streets tp click pictures that is great. Loved it !!
aishu-fazil
Hi sis I've tried few recipes of your especialw when I've to make my husband in good mood . Lovely . Pati used to give it to me when I was child now I make moore sadham with yesterdays left over rice n wit that maavadu suits best. I really loved it that you really made a post for this recipe.Lots of love. Keep posting more so thatt I can try impressing my husband. Aishu
Unknown
Hi Sharmi,
Where in Coimbatore can I find mud pots for cooking?
Sharmilee! :)
@Unknown : I got it near the streets of Gandhipark….
Unknown
Thank you!
Ramya Shanmugham
Hi.. Shall I prepare this without using earthern pot?
SHARMILEE J
Yes you can…
Devi
Your effort to post this recipe is much appreciated. Am glad to see so many people still interested in our traditional food which is one of my favourites too. Post many such traditional recipes which we have forgotten in this fast paced world. Well done! 🙂
Suba
Sharmi ur neeragaram is so perfect.my hubby enjoyed it a lot.thank you very much.kudos for your wonderful pics
Balambigai Vignesh
Sharmi, we should not strain the water that you leave overnight. The water is rich in Amino acid, Vitamin B12, rich starch and bacterial content that is extreme good for the body. you got to use the water along with the rice to get all the benefits. Just the rice is a waste.
Rads
I really want to have this… but I’m allergic to milk product. I also show bad reaction raw onions. What can I use in this recipe instead of buttermilk?
Sharmilee J
you can add just water