Puli Pongal (Tamarind Pongal)

This is another pongal, my grandma prepare and I like the way she prepares it. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Raw rice - 1 cup (measuring cup)
2. Tamarind - a little less thansmall lemon sized
3. Sesame oil - 3 tbsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
7. urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
8. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
9. red chillies - 1
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
11. Curry leaves - few.

First grind the raw rice coarsely and keep it aside. Squeeze juice from tamarind upto 2 1/2 (1:2 1/2) and keep it aside. Now take a pressure pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, channa dhall, red chillies, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and fry it till golden brown. Now put the rice, add tamarind juice, turmeric powder, salt and mix everything well. Cover the pressure cooker and cook it upto 2 whistles. Rice should not be over cooked. We can also increase/reduce the quantity of tamarind water accordingly. When the pressure is fully released, open the pressure pan, mix it again, add some more curry leaves and cover it for another 3 mts. This Puli Pongal can be served with onion raita. I usually serve it with potato chips and a dallop of yogurt.