Iyengar Puliyodharai (Tamarind Rice)
This delicious Iyengar Puliyodharai is served in south-Indian temples. Make this easy Tamarind Rice with Pulikachal (tamarind pickle).
Ingredients
For the Pulikachal (the Tamarind Pickle)
- 1 cup seedless Tamarind fruit (or deseed manually)
- 1 Tbsp Methi seeds (vendhayam or fenugreek seedS)
- 1/2 to 1 cup Sesame Oil (the more you use, the longer the pickle lasts and more flavor it has)
- 1 Tbsp solid Hing or powdered Hing (Perungayam or Asafetoda)
- 1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds (kadugu or rai)
- 2 Tbsp Chana Dal (split chickpeas or kadalai paruppu)
- 2 Tbsp split Urad Dal (split black gram or ulutham paruppu)
- 1/4 cup dried Red Chili (adjust for spice)
- 1 Tbsp Turmeric Powder (haldi or manja podi)
- 1/3 cup fresh Curry Leaves
- 2 Tbsp Salt, adjust to taste
- 1 Tbsp Jaggery (gud or vellam), adjust to taste
For the Spice-Mix (makes enough for 2-4 cups of Rice. You should make these fresh in batches for best results)
- 2 Tbsp Coriander seeds (dhania)
- 2 tsp Black Peppercorn (kali mirch or milagu)
- 1/4 cup dried Red Chili or Chili Powder
To make the Puliyodharai
- 1 cup Basmati Rice (or any fluffy rice) - cooked & cooled
- 1-2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1-2 tsp Tamarind Pickle or Pulikachal
- 1-2 tsp Coriander-Chili-Pepper Spice-Mix
- 2-3 Tbsp Peanuts (moongfali or verkadalai)
*All the above components under Tamarind Rice are approximate measurements, adjust the amount of spice-mix or pickle you need based on your preference.
Instructions
For the Pickle or Pulikachal
- Prepping the tamarind: Soak the tamarind in warm water for an hour or until softened. If there are any seeds, remove them from the mixture. Add the tamaridn with some water to a blender and blend to a smooth puree. Pass this through a seive to ensure you have a smooth tamarind paste with no fibre or seeds.
- Prepping Methi Seeds: Roast the methi seeds until they turn golden and aromatic. Let them cool completely. Crush them with a mortar pestle to a coarse powder. You can also use an electric spice grinder. Set this powder aside until the end.
- Tadka for the tamarind pickle: Heat the sesame oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds, when that splutters, add the chana dal and urad dal and fry a few seconds. Then add the hing, curry leaves, turmeric powder and mix.
- Pour in the tamarind paste along with a cup of water. Add salt and mix well. Keep stirring occassionally and cook the mixture on medium heat.
- In about 20-30 minutes, the mixture will thicken. Add the jaggery and methi powder that we had prepared earlier. Mix well. Taste and adjust for seasoning (salt / jaggery).
- Let the mixture cook for another 5 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the pickle.
- Once the pickle cools to room temperature, add it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for upto a year. Use as needed.
For the Spice-Mix
- Roast the coriander seeds, black peppercorn and dried red chilies until aromatic and crunchy. Let them cool completely.
- Grind to a smooth powder. That's it. Store in an airtight jar and use as needed.
- Ideally, make this in small batches so that the spices stay fresh.
For assembling the Puliyodharai or Tamarind Rice
- Cooking the Rice: Wash and soak rice for at least 30 minutes. Use 1:2 rice to water ratio and cook on a pan with lid or pressure cooker with spoonful of oil. Once it is cooked, let it cool to room temperature complety without disturbing the rice. Once it has cooled, fluff up gently with a fork.
- Bringing everything together:
- Add the fluffed up rice (at room temp) to a large mixing bowl. Add the sesame oil, roasted peanuts, pulikachal and spice mix. Mix gently with a couple of forks, without breaking the rice. That's it!
- Make sure to let the pickle and spices infuse into the rice. Let it rest for at least 2 hours (if not more). Serve at room temperature as is or with your favorite chips or yogurt.