Puliyodharai | Tamarind Rice | Puli Kaichal for Puli Sadam

Puliyodharai | Tamarind Rice | Puli Kaichal for Puli Sadam, the name itself makes everyone drool over. I rarely find people hate this tangy, tasty rice. Puliyodharai is a traditional rice dish prepared on some special occasions like Aadi 18| Pathinettam Perukku, Kaanum Pongal, Valai Kaappu|Seemandham and as Prasad| Prasadham for Poojas. Whatever we get from temples as Prasad taste divine but nothing can match with the “Temple Puliyotharai|Kovil Puliyodharai given in Perumal temples.  There are many recipes for preparing puliyodharai but Iyengar Puliyotharai recipe is the best one. This is also ideal for lunch box & travel. 

I prepare this pulikaichal when we get bored of our plain rice with some kuzhambu variety.  The recipe for puli kaichal I’ve given here, will stay good in the fridge for about a month. If you are the one who finds no time to cook in the morning, keeping this pulikaichal in stock will help you make a variety rice in a jiffy. You can pair this rice with some chips or vadams. You can also use leftover rice for making puliyodharai. Here I’ve given the recipe for making pulikaichal as well as for preparing puliyodharai with this pulikaichal...

Recipe for Puliyodharai | Tamarind Rice | Puli Kaichal for Puli Sadam:

Cuisine : Indian| South Indian | Iyengar

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Cooking time : 15 Minutes

Serves – 6 

Ingredients:

• Tamarind – a big lemon size
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Dry Roast & Grind:

• Fenugreek seeds| vendhayam – 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds| Malli vidhai – 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds| Ellu -1 tsp

Roast & Grind:

• Gingelly oil |Nallennei – 1 tsp
• Asafoetida | Perungayam – 1 tsp or a tiny pebble size
• Red chillies | kaaintha milakaai – 5
• Pepper corns | Milaku – 1 tsp

For seasoning:

• Gingelly oil |Nallennei – 5 tbsp
• Mustard – 1 tbsp
• Channa dhal – 2 tbsp
• Grount nuts – as required
• Red chillies – 5
• Curry leaves - few

Method:

How to prepare Pulikaichal for Puliyodharai?

1. Soak tamarind in a cup of water for ½ an hour, extract thick tamarind juice & keep aside.
2. In the mean time, dry roast fenugreek seeds in simmer till you get nice aroma and transfer to a plate.
3. In the same kadai, add coriander seeds| dhaniya, dry roast and transfer to the same plate.
4. Crackle sesame seeds in the same kadai and transfer these seeds to the plate.
5. In the same kadai, add oil & Asafoetida | Perungayam (if using Katti perungayam), and fry for a minute. To this add, pepper, sauté for a while, then add red chillies & asafoetida (if using hing powder)  and fry till chillies become crisp. Transfer these to the same plate and allow the contents to cool.
6. Grind it in a mixer and make a dry powder. Keep aside.
7. In the same kadai, add oil , when hot add mustard. Once they splutter, add channa dhal and sauté till they become golden brown in colour.
8. Add ground nuts, broken red chillies and curry leaves, one by one. When curry leaves get fried, add tamarind juice, turmeric powder and required salt. Mix well.
9. Allow it to boil for 5 minutes.
10. When the raw smell of the tamarind goes, add the prepared puli kaichal powder and allow to boil for 5 minutes.
11. By this time, tamarind paste will become a thick paste and oil will ooze out form the gravy.
12. Switch off & allow to cool.

Transfer the pulikaichal into a clean, dry container, refrigerate  and use whenever you want.

Recipe for preparing puliyodharai:

Ingredients:

Cooked rice – 2 cups

Pulikaichal – 3 tbsp

Gingelly oil – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Cook rice until soft but not mushy. Transfer the cooked rice to a broad plate, add gingelly oil, fluff with rice gently & allow to cool.
2. When completely cooled, add the required puli kaichal and mix without breaking the rice.

Yummy, tasty Puli sadham is ready  to be relished with any fry, vadam or chips.

Note:

• This recipe strictly needs gingelly oil as it will impart an unique flavour & taste to the rice.
• While mixing rice add enough  pulikaichal so that the rice looks drenched in the gravy. After some time, rice will absorb the paste and the taste will get balanced.
• While mixing rice, check for salt & add if necessary.
• Eat rice after an hour of mixing the rice with pulikaichal.
• Use ponni raw rice for preparing tamarind rice. You can also use any good quality boiled rice.

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