Pulikachal (Tamarind Pickle)
I had mentioned sometime back that South Indians rely on Tamarind for their tang-fixation. And believe me, a LOT of our dishes begin with a tamarind base. So does this Pulikachal. It is a tamarind based pickle that will last forever in your refrigerator! The amazing combination of tang & spice makes this a delicious condiment to have for any quick meal.
Among South Indian Brahmins, Iyengars are a set of people with separate traditions and recipes. This pulikachal (read: Poo-lee-kaa-cha-L) pickle happens to be a classic Iyengar recipe. I’ve brought you another one of my family’s best kept secrets! 😉 An easy to prepare, long lasting pickle!
PULIKACHAL – The Recipe
What you need —
Soak tamarind fruit in warm water for 15 minutes.
Squeeze out all the pulp into the water and discard the fruit.
Dry roast fenugreek (methi) seeds
Remove & grind to a coarse powder. (use a mortar & pestle or a grinder)
Heat Sesame (Til) Oil and add the Hing chunks. Let that fry for 1 minute. (If you don’t have chunks, skip this step & add powder along with the salt.
Add Dried Red Chillies. Let them fry in the oil for 1-2 minutes.
Add the mustard seeds, Chana Dal & Urad Dal & fry until the dals turn golden brown.
Add curry leaves & turmeric powder.
Add the tamarind extract water & mix well.
Add the salt, (if using – asafoetida powder), jaggery (or sugar)
Let the mixture boil & reduce by half.
Add the ground Methi (fenugreek) seeds
Mix well and continue to boil.
Let the mixture cook until it has reduced and become a thick paste. (another way to tell if its done is when the oil starts to leave & float around the sides)
Store in air tight container in the fridge for upto 3 months or sometimes even a year!
- 1.5 cup Tamarind fruit (or 2 cups thick tamarind extract)
- 4 cups warm Water
- 8-10 Dried Red Chilli
- 1 TBsp Black Mustard Seeds (Rai)
- 2 TBsp Chana Dal (brown chickpea lentil)
- 2 TBsp Urad Dal (split black gram) {opional}
- 2 tsp Methi Seeds (Fenugreek)
- 1 tsp Jaggery (or sugar)
- 2 TBsp Salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp Hing chunks (asafoetida) {If chunks not available, use powder}
- 4 TBsp Curry Leaves
- 1 cup Sesame Oil (til oil)
- Soak tamarind fruit in warm water for 15 minutes.
- Squeeze out all the pulp into the water and discard the fruit.
- Dry roast fenugreek (methi) seeds Remove & grind to a coarse powder. (use a mortar & pestle or a grinder)
- Heat Sesame (Til) Oil and add the Hing chunks. Let that fry for 1 minute. (If you don’t have chunks, skip this step & add powder along with the salt.
- Add Dried Red Chillies. Let them fry in the oil for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the mustard seeds, Chana Dal & Urad Dal & fry until the dals turn golden brown.
- Add curry leaves & turmeric powder. Add the tamarind extract water & mix well.
- Add the salt, (if using – asafietida powder), jaggery (or sugar)
- Let the mixture boil & reduce by half.
- Add the ground Methi (fenugreek) seeds
- Mix well and continue to boil.
- Let the mixture cook until it has reduced and become a thick paste. (another way to tell if its done is when the oil starts to leave & float around the sides)
- Store in air tight container in the fridge for upto 3 months or sometimes even a year.
you mention mustard seeds in the list of ingredients, but dont seem to do anything with them!
oops! Forgot to mention. I have corrected the recipe. Thanks for pointing out. 🙂
Thanks! i tried the recipe, works quite well!
You have a good website!