Puliyodharai is a perfect travel food not to mention their divine taste when it’s served as prasadham. The kovil style puliyodharai / puliyogare always tastes different and more delicious than we usually prepare in the home. I guess that’s how this puliyodharai derived a name exclusively as “kovil style puliyodharai” :). One of my friend’s grandmother is so good at preparing this rice because they use to cook occasionally for their family temple. Lucky for me, paattima shared her recipe with me and now I am seen as “pulikaichal Expert” in my home. So, in this post I gonna share the recipe for both puliyodharai and pulikaichal. Let’s relish in the divine taste of tangy tamarind rice.
For The Pulikaichal Paste:
Gingelly Oil (Nallenai) – 3 tbsp
Peanuts – a fistful (Skin removed)
Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
Urad Dal – 1 tsp
Channa Dal – 1 tbsp
Dried Red chillies – 2
Curry Leaves – few
Dried Red chillies – 2
Powdered jaggery – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Hing (Perungayam) – a generous pinch
Tamarind – lemon sized ball
Salt – to taste
Pulikaichal Powder:
Channa Dal – 1 ½ tbsp
Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds – ½ tbsp
Dried Red Chillies – 2
Fenugreek Seeds(Venthyam) – ½ tsp
Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
Pepper – 1/2 tsp
Method:
- Heat a pan and roast the ingredients mentioned under ‘Pulikaichal powder’ until golden brown. Keep aside, allow it to cool and grind it to a fine powder.
- Add 1/2 cup water to lemon sized tamarind and soak for a while. Later squeeze out thick tamarind pulp and keep aside.
- Heat gingelly oil in a kadai and add the peanuts. Roast until slightly browned. Now add mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal, curry leaves, red chillies, turmeric powder and hing. Saute until they are roasted and now add the tamarind juice, salt and allow it to boil for 10-15mins.
- Add jaggery and mix well. When the mixture turns to be little thick in consistency and the oil separated from it add the ground dry powder. Boil it for 5 mins for a paste like mixture and switch off the flame. Now mix the cooked rice with the pulikaichal paste prepared. Check for salt and add if required.
- For more spicy version, you can add the grinded powder again while mixing it with the rice. Yummy and tangy kovil style puliyodharai is ready! Serve hot with any pappad or spicy potato roast.
My Notes:
- The pulikaichal powder can be grinded and stored in fridge so that you can use this ready made powder while preparing the pulikaichal paste in a jiffy.
- Adding jaggery is optional and pulikaichal paste can be stored in the fridge about a week.
- Make sure rice is not over cooked and let it be seperated for a perfect non sticky variety rice.
