Puliyogare / Puliyodharai/ Tamarind Rice Recipe

Tamarind Rice is a tangy-spicy South Indian Rice preparation, which is known for its long shelf life and great travel food. Tamarind rice is also known as "Puliyogare" in Karnataka, "puliyodharai" in Tamil Nadu and "puḷihora" in Andhra Pradesh.It is traditionally made using steamed or boiled rice mixed with tamarind paste, Nuts and few Indian spices.

The tanginess of the tamarind, crunchiness of the groundnuts and, above all the flavor and aroma of Indian spices makes tamarind rice an absolute delight to eat.

Ingredients:

Rice(Basmati )  - 2 cups(cooked with salt)

Sesame oil -  50 ml

Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Split Bengal gram (chana dal) – 2 tsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Dried red chilli  - 6 to 7 nos

Peanuts(roasted)  - 2 tbsp

Tamarind paste  - 1 ½ tbsp

Curry leaves 8-10

Turmeric powder – ½  tspn

Asafoetida – ¼ tspn

Salt to taste

Ingredients – to grind

Coriander seeds – 1 ½  tsp

Fenugreek seeds – ¼  tsp

White sesame seeds 1 ½ tsp

Dried red chillies  - 2 broken

Method:

In a heavy bottom pan or Kadai dry roast the ingredients mentioned under “to grind”. (Don’t burn it or brown it). Cool and grind the above roasted mixture without adding water. Keep it aside.

In the same pan heat up sesame oil, crackle the mustard seeds, then add chana dal and urad dhal. When its slightly browned add dried red chillies and curry leaves; then add roasted peanuts and fry well in a medium flame. After 2 minutes add turmeric powder and asafoetida and keep stirring.

Dilute the tamarind paste in 3/4 cup water and add it to the pan(if using extract, ensure the extract liquid is about ¾ cup in quantity) and allow it to boil in low to medium sized flame. Keep it covered. When its reduced to a semi thick liquid add salt and the ground mixture. Mix well and cook for a minute. Check for seasoning. Turn off the flame and add the cooked rice, Mix till the rice is well coated with the mixture.

Serve hot with pappadams/appalams and pickle.