Tamarind Rice Special (Puliyôdarai)

Main Course Rice: Puliyôdarai

Ingredients required

1. Rice                               1500 gm
2. oil                                 250 gm
3. ground nuts                    100 gm
4. copra                            150 gm
5. tamarind                          30   gm
6. mustard seeds                  10   gm
7. bengal gram (split)            10  gm
8. black gram (split)              10  gm
9. curry leaves                     10  gm
10. green coriander               10  gm
11.  jaggery                          5    gm
12. turmeric                          1 teaspoon
13.  salt  to taste

Ingredients to be powdered

Roast all these ingredients in two spoons of oil. Roast in medium heat for about 10 minutes. If properly roasted the chillies turn crisp and the other ingredients change colour. Keep aside the roasted ingredients to cool and then grind to a fine powder. Now the podi is ready to add to Puliyôdarai.

1. coriander (seeds)               500 gm
2. red chillies                        5     gm
3. bengal gram (split)             1 teaspoon
4. black gram (split)               1 teaspoon
5. fenugreek                         1 teaspoon
6. pepper                             2 teaspoon
7. cinnamon   a one inch piece
8. asafoetida (hing)  a one inch piece

Procedure

Cook the rice in a pressure cooker with less water. If properly cooked the rice should not look like a paste and the granules should stand separate. Basmati rice is usually used for Puliyôdarai. However, other rice varieties can also be used. Take a big vessel and spread the cooked rice. Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder and a tablespoon of oil. Keep it aside to cool.

Soak the tamarind in a bowl of warm water for 3 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind, take the essence and boil it in a pan.  Initially the essence will have a lot of water content because water is poured on tamarind two or three times to get the essence. Allow the tamarind essence to boil till it looses its water content and turns into a thick paste. Add about 5 gm of jaggery when the tamarind essence is boiling. After it becomes a thick paste remove it from the fire and keep it aside to cool.

Prepare the powder or the ‘podi’ and keep it ready to mix with the rice.

By now the rice must have become cool and it is ready to be mixed with the other ingredients. The powder and tamarind paste should not be mixed with the rice when it is hot.

Prepare for seasoning. In a pan heat two spoonfulls of oil and put some mustard seeds and two red chillies in it. After the mustard seeds crackle and pop up and after you get a delightful smell add a spoonful of bengal gram (split) and a spoonful of black gram (split). Add a pinch of asafoetida (hing). Finally add the curry leaves. Take it out of the fire and pour it on the rice along with the oil. Now add the powder that you have specially made, the tamarind paste and salt to your taste. You can add less or more powder according to how spicy you want the rice to be. Similarly, you can add less or more tamarind paste according to how sour you want the rice to be. Mix the rice and these ingredients gently and carefully without mashing the rice. Roast the groundnuts in oil and spread it on the rice. Decorate the rice with grated copra, chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves. Leave it aside for 30 mts.

Now the powerful rice preparation, Puliyôdarai, is ready to serve.

The Puliyôdarai tastes still better the next day as it has more time to absorb the flavour of the ‘Puliyodara Podi’ and the tamarind essence.