Tamarind Rice

"Pulikachal Saadam" or Puliyodharai - This is how we call this in tamil. The preparation of pulikachal is time consuming. Now a days ready made pulikachal bottles are available in stores. But I dont prefer buying this from shop and make this rice. Here is the recipe for pulikachal and of course the tamarind rice!!

Ingredients:-

1. Raw Tamarind - 1 medium lemon sized.
2. Sesame Oil - 1/2 cup
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
5. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
   
6. Peanuts - 2 tbsp
7. Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
8. Red chillies - 6(or acc to taste)*
9. Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
    
11. Salt to taste

For Grinding:-

1. Red chillies - 7 (acc to taste)
2. Coraiander seeds - 1/4 cup
3. Channa dhall - 2 tbsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
   
5. Urad dhall - 1 tsp
6. White Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
7. Cashew - 5

For Tamarind Rice:-

1. Rice - 1 cup (nice cooked)
2. Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
3. Curry leaves - few

First soak the tamarind in water for an hour. Take a pan, pour a drop of oil, fry the ingredients given for grinding, one by one, to golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into a fine powder. Keep it aside.

Take a wide pan, preheat the remaining oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, channa dhall, red chillies, cashews, peanuts and asafoetida power and fry it till golden brown. Do not burn the ingredients. Squeeze the thick juice from the soaked tamarind for about 2 1/2 cups and add it to the fried ingredients. Add turmeric powder and salt and let it cook for 15 mts under low flame. The tamarind water should be really thick. When it is fully done, you should see the oil spreading out the tamarind water. Now add the prepared powder to it and stir it thoroughly. If necessary, keep it in the stove for another 5 mts. ** Turn off the stove. Keep it aside. Let it be in the same pan for another 10 mts. This is pulikachal.

Now take rice, pour 1 tbsp of oil and let it cool. Now add required amount of pulikachal to the rice and mix it thoroughly. If you need more color, then preheat a tsp of sesame oil, add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, fry it and pour it on top of the rice. Garnish it with curry leaves. This rice can be eaten with chips.

* - In this stage we can increase or decrease the amount of chillies according to our taste.
** - After adding the powder, some people will take out the pan from stove. I usually mix it on top of the stove keeping it there for another 5 mts.