Puliyodarai (Tamarind Rice)

Pulikaichal (Tamarind Gravy)

Pulikaichal is a preserve which stays for a few months in the fridge. This when mixed with rice is called Puliyodarai.

Ingredients

• Tamarind Pulp- 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

For the seasoning

• Red chillies 5 nos (cut into pieces)
• Mustard seeds-2 teaspoons
• Groundnuts- 1 cup
• Channa dal- 1/2 cup
• Urad dal- 1/2 cup
• Hing - 1 small piece or1/4 teaspoon powder
• Til oil (sesame oil) - 1 cup

For the powder

• Red chillies - 5 nos
• urad dal - 2 teaspoons
• Channa dal - 2 teaspoons
• Fenugreek or methi seeds - 1 teaspoon
• coriander seeds - 2 teaspoons
• Hing - 1 small piece

Method

1. Soak the tamarind in warm water and squeeze out thick juice to make 1 and 1/2 cup pulp.
2. In a heat kadai and fry the ingredients for the powder, stirring continously till golden.
3. Allow to cool and grind to a fine powder.
4. In the same kadai heat 1 cup oil and add mustard seeds.
5. When it crackles add all other ingredients for the seasoning and fry till golden.
6. Lower the flame and carefully pour the tamarind pulp in to the seasoning.
7. Add turmeric powder and mix well.
8. Allow to simmer till the pulp is thick.
9. Add salt and the powder and mix well. put off the flame.
10. Allow to cool and store in food safe, air tight containers in the fridge.

For the rice

Ingredients

• Raw rice - 1 cup
• Til oil - 1 teaspoon Curry leaves - 1 twig

Method


1. Wash and prepare rice in a pressure cooker, with 1 cup rice and 2 cups water.
2. Allow to cool a bit and transfer to a shallow dish.
3. Pour 2 teaspoon oil in rice and curry leaves fried in one teaspoon til oil.
4. Add 3 tablespoons(or needed) of the pulikaichal and mix lightly with a the flat ladle without breaking the rice
5. . Serve hot with chips...

Lemon Rice & Coconut Rice.

LEMON RICE

Ingredients

• Raw rice - 1cup

• Lemon - 1 large

• Green chillies - 2

• Curry leaves - a few

• Bengal Gram dal - 1 tea spoon

• Mustard - 1 tea spoon

• Urad dal - 1 tea spoon

• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon

• Red Chilli - 1 (optional)

• oil - a table spoon

• Asafoetida - a pinch

• Cashew nuts - 5 nos ( cut into pieces)

• Salt -to taste

Method

1. Pressure cook rice with 2 cups of water. Each grain should be separate.

2. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard, when it splutters add the bengal gram dal, urad dal, red chillies . Fry till golden and add turmeric after a while.

3. Add green chillies and curry leaves, fry for a moment and put off the flame.

4. Squeeze lemon and take its juice.

5. *Take rice in a shallow bowl, add, salt, asafoetida, and pour the lemon juice. Add the seasoning from the kadai.

Coconut rice

Ingredients

• Raw rice - 1cup

• Bengal gram dal - 1 tea spoon

• Mustard - 1 tea spoon

• Urad dal - 1 tea spoon

• Red chillies - 1 (optional)

• Cashew nuts- 5 nos (cut into pieces)

• Green chillies - 2

• Salt -to taste

• Asafoetida - a pinch

• Grated coconut - 1 cup tightly packed

• Curry leaves -1 twig

• Ghee- 1 table spoon+1 teaspoon for mixing

Method

1. Pressure cook rice adding 2 cups water.The rice grains should be separate.

2. Heat ghee in a kadai, add mustard, after it splutters add bengal gram dal, urad dal, red chillies. Add cashews after a while and fry till golden.

3. Add green chillies, curry leaves and coconut. Stir continously on a medium flame till the coconut turns slightly golden in colour.

4. Transfer the rice into a shallow bowl, Allow to cool a little, add 1 teaspoon ghee. This helps to separate the rice grains.

5. Add the coconut mixture, mix lightly with out mashing the rice.

6. Transfer to a serving bowl .Serve with papad and vadaam.

Cashews fry faster than the dals so add after a while. If you are not comfortable fry them separately.