TAMARIND RICE - PULIYOGARE / PULIYODHARAI RECIPE

      

                My version,I learnt from my mom...I have always been with her in kitchen and watched her making this for gazillion times. This is the perfect recipe that clicked to me...though I have tried many. I somehow don't like coriander seeds(smell) in the powder part.
For Puliyogare,we make pulikaichal in advance and can store for long time,say a week,even no need for refrigeration!!
              Whenever we go for a day's picnic,or we travel,my mom makes puliyogare and packs in banana leaf.And the moment we open for our lunch,it tastes heavenly!
             A week back when we went to Phuket, even I made this pulikaichal and carried in a container and as we were staying in a villa,we were able to cook rice,so we made tamarind rice and carried for a trip within the Island!
I dint took step wise picture that time,so excuse me...

             Everybody,including my friends liked very much ! So here's the recipe,of pulikaichal!
Ingredients:

Tamarind	1 big lemon sized
Turmeric	1/4 tsp
Asafetida	1/4 tsp
Jaggery/sugar	1/2 tsp
Salt,water	As needed
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Peanuts	1 fist full

To Temper:

Mustard	1 tblsp
Red chillies	10-15
Urad dal	4 tblsp
Channa dal	3 tblsp
Asafetida	1/2 tsp
Curry leaves	2 sprigs
Sesame oil & cooking oil	5 tblsp

To Roast and grind:

Channa dal	2 tblsp
Red chillies	4 nos
Fenugreek seeds/vendhayam	3/4 tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Pepper(optional)	1 tsp

 

Method:

1. Extract tamarind juice from the tamarind by soaking in warm water for half-an-hour or by your way of extraction. (My way is here: Usually if too much tamarind to extract means,its difficult for me ...so, I will pressure cook tamarind with little water,for a whistle and cool it down and after it cools down I add water,mash well with my hands and extract the juice using a strainer. All the pulp comes out with an ease leaving behind only the fibre part!!)Keep aside.
2. Roast all the ingredients under the To roast and grind table with a teaspoon of oil,to golden brown and powder it and keep aside.
3. Heat a heavy bottomed vessel/Kadai  with oil and add the ingredients under to temper table in order. Then add the tamarind extract, turmeric, salt, curry leaves and asafoetida(curry leaves and asafeotida-here we are adding raw). Add enough water,it has to boil for long time so let the consistency be thin like rasam.
4. After you boil for some 15-20 minutes,the volume gets reduced by half and at this stage,add jaggery and the roast&ground powder. Now again boil for 2 more minutes and you may see the mixture getting thicker. Now boil more time to get a thick paste and switch of the gas(takes less time after adding the powder,so keep an eye) Mean while, Dry roast Peanuts till nice aroma comes(golden brown)and remove the skin after it cools down and keep aside.
5. Lastly after removing from fire,add the roasted peanuts and mix well. Cool down and store in a clean container.Cook rice(basmati or long grained variety)with 1:2, rice:water ratio. Cool down completely,with added 2-3 tsps. of sesame oil. Add the pulikaichal how much ever needed and adjust according to your taste.Add salt if only needed.

You can keep the pulikaichal for 15-20 days in fridge and use when ever you want,even stays good when kept out for a week. The tamarind rice even can be carried when you are in travel, it will keep good for long time.

Notes: Asafoetida and peanuts are main ingredients for enhancing the flavor of puliyogare. So don't avoid/ be stingy in adding. Add sesame oil when mixing the rice,because it neutralizes the side effects of eating too much tamarind. After mixing with rice give atleast half-an-hour standing time! If you are carrying the rice for a long day trip,then never use your hands to touch the rice,always use a ladle. You can add torn fresh curry leaves when you mix with rice, which will give extra flavour! Warning:This puliyogare will be hot and not sweet like the puliyogare mix we get readymade!!

I am very glad to send this pulikaichal recipe to Lakshmi's event Meals On Wheels...
I am desperately waiting for the round-up as it would be really useful for many people...A hearty thanks to her for organizing this event!

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