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Vegan Tamarind Rice or Puliyodharai Recipe is tangy, sour and slightly spicy and is served as Prasad in many South Indian temples.
Puliyodharai or Puliyogare is easy to make and has for ages served as travel food. The Puliyogare powder can be prepared ahead and stored. You can also prepare the concentrate and store it. A well-prepared concentrate like a pickle when stored under oil does not spoil.
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Contents:
- Puliyogare and me
- How to make Tamarind Rice
- Pro-tips
- Frequently asked questions
- Some other rice recipes we love
- Recipe Card
- Pin for later
Puliyogare and me:
Life in the hostel was great but as always food sucked. Back then we had no swiggy, takeaways or even restaurants close by. So there was no such thing as being bored to eat the same food. We depended on our family to send us goodies.
So every time I came home I asked for 2 things pickle and Puliyogare concentrate masala. The glass bottle of ½ kg old Bournvita jar was wrapped in the oldest possible clothes and wrapped milk bags. The first thing that got packed with clothes stuffed around it to prevent breakage. No, we did not have bubble wrap or even plastic bags were the milk bags.
In the hostel room, the jars were installed on the shelf meant for eatables. But first, we drooled over the colour and the aroma of the stuff in the bottles. Meals were again fun!
My version of Pulihora:
This recipe I had posted on 11th Feb 2016. I have lost the recipe card and the images of those days. But since my family kept asking for "what Amma made recipe"I am redoing this post.
Pulihora also called Pulinchuru, Kokum rice has many variations. The other variation I am adding so you can pick and choose what you prefer.
Ingredients for Puliyodharai:
These are ingredients for making Tamarind Rice. For measures please check the recipe card below.
For the rice:
- Rice
- Tamarind
- Sesame oil
- Salt
For the masala powder:
- Fenugreek seeds
- White sesame seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Red chillies
- Split Black lentil
- SplitBengal gram lentil
For the tempering:
- Oil
- Mustard
- Red chillies
- Asafoetida
- Turmeric powder
- Roasted peanuts
- Curry leaves
For mixing the rice:
- Sesame seed oil
Substitutes and alternatives:
- Oil: Though sesame oil is recommended you can use regular sunflower oil, peanut oil, rice bran or even vegetable oil.
- The traditional method of making the Tamarind rice is adding the Split Bengal Gram and the Split Black gram in the tempering.
How to make Tamarind Rice:
These are the steps for making the Pulihora the details re in teh recipe card.
- For Tamarind Rice make the rice use regular short-grained rice and each grain should separate.
- Cool the cooked rice and separate the grains.
- Soak the tamarind and make pulp and make the spice powder.
- Make a tempering and cook with peanuts, the tamarind pulp and the spice mix.
- Cook till the oil separates. Cool and mix as needed in the rice.
- Serve.
Pro-tips:
- Use regular short-grained rice like sona masuri, jeera rice etc.
- Make the spice mix and store it in a glass jar. Use a dry spoon to get the mix out of the jar.
- Make the tamarind concentrate with the spice mix and store under oil like a pickle if you do not have a fridge.
- The well-made concentrate will remain fresh in a fridge for at least 30 days.
- I have here ground the Bengal Gram lentils and the Black Gram lentil. You can instead add it to the tempering. This is the common way in which this rice is done. However, since we do not like to bite into the Bengal gram lentil we make our spice powder the way I have described. The choice is yours and the quantities do not differ.
How to Store the Tamarind Rice:
- The Tamarind Concentrate can be stored for about 30 days in the refrigerator.
- If you do not have a refrigerator then keep the concentrate under a layer of oil. When getting the concentrate out remember to drain the oil from your spoon. What is left in the masala is enough to mix in your rice.
Frequently asked questions:
How do I use readymade Puliogare Spice Powder?
If you purchase the ready spice mix all you need to do is make the tamarind concentrate. This means tempering in oil with mustard, red chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric and roasted peanuts. Add tamarind pulp add the spice mix and cook till the oil comes out. Cool and add to your rice. But in general, follow the package instructions.
How do I use readymade Puliogare Paste?
Cook rice if using an open pan then the rice and water ratio is generally 1:2. If using the pressure cooker it is 1:1.5. Let the rice cool then add the readymade Puliogare Paste and mix well but gently. Enjoy!
Why so you say add the Tamarind Concentrate to the rice and not vice versa?
Adding the Puliogare Tamarind Concentrate to rice allows you the control the amount added to the rice. You know the amount of rice you will eatso add as much as you need.
Some other rice recipes we love:
- Vegetarian Tehri My Tryst With Awadhi Cuisine
- Kashmiri Pulao|Rice Recipes|Pulao Recipes
- Tukdiya Bhat, a Himachal Pradesh Specialty
- Dodkyacha Bhat aka Ridge Gourd Rice
Recipe Card:
Puliyodharai Recipe
Vegan Tamarind Rice is tangy, sour and slightly spicy and delicious. Puliyodharai or Puliyogare is easy to make and has for ages served as travel food. You will love it, try it!
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: No onion No Garlic, Puliyogare, Rice Recipes, Tamarind Rice, Temple food, Vegan
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 380kcal
Author: ArchanaPotdar
Equipment
Kadhai/wok
Bowls
Spoons and Ladles
A container with a lid
Ingredients
Spice Powder:
- 4 teaspoon black gram lentil
- 4 teaspoon
Bengal gram lentil
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 5 red chillies
For the tempering:
- 6 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 3-4 red chillies
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida
- a spring of curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ cup peanuts roasted
- 1 cup tamarind pulp
For the Rice:
- 1 cup rice
- 2 teaspoon sesame seed oil optional
- salt as needed
Instructions
Spice Powder:
Dry roast, on low flame the split bengal gram lentil till golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
Dry roast, on low flame the split black gram lentil till golden. Add to the plate in which you added the bengal gram.
Dry roast on low flame the fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and red chillies until you get a nice aroma. Transfer to the plate of the lentils.
Dry roast on low flame sesame seeds. The care as these splutter. Cool with the rest of the spices.
Grind together to a fine powder this is our masala powder for puliyodharai.
You can transfer this powder to a glass jar and set aside. You can save this for a rainy day or when you are in no mood to cook. Will stay good for about 6 months.
To make the Tamarind Concentrate:
Soak the tamarind in water and extract a thick pulp. Set aside keep the pulp and discard the tamarind.
Heat oil in a wok and make a tempering of mustard, asafoetida, split black lentil, red chillies and curry leaves,.
Add the peanuts and fry till the nuts are golden brown,.
Add the tamarind pulp and mix well.
Add the dry spice powder and mix well.
Add the turmeric powder as the mixture thickens add salt and mix well.
Add red chilli powder if you need a little spicy mix. Cook till the oil oozes out.
Let the mix cool a little then transfer to a container. Cool the mix before you close the lid.
This spice mix stay good for about 20 days outside the fridge if you cook it well and in a lot more oil.
To make the Puliyogare:
Cook the rice either in open pan or in the cooker. Even leftover rice is fine the only thing is the rice should nor be mushy. Each grain should be separate. Spread the cooked rice and cool it.
Meanwhile mix a little plain rice with the tamarind concentrate. I did this in my wok where I cooked the concentrate.
Add some sesame oil and mix with your hand. Remove all the goodness off the wok.
Add a little of the mix if it feels dry or rice if it is too wet.
Check the salt add some if required mix well. You can also mix some chilli powder if you wish. I did not.
Serve with papad.
Nutrition Facts
Puliyodharai Recipe
Serving Size
1 cup
Amount per Serving
Calories
380
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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