South Indian cuisine is known for its healthy ingredients and the addition of aromatic spices. If you are a fan of South Indian staples like idlis and dosas, you must level up and dive deeper into regional cuisine. Popularly made in states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, etc, tamarind rice is a must-try for everyone.
Tamarind rice, also known as Pulihora, Puliyodarai, Kokum rice, or Ambad Baath in different regions, is a traditional dish that is super healthy. While Puliyodarai is usually made for festivals and special occasions, you can make it at home any day of the week to enjoy an authentic South Indian meal. Read on for an easy-to-follow recipe with tips to perfect the dish.
Easy Recipe To Make Tamarind Rice
Ingredients:
For The Tamarind Pulp:
- 1 cup tamarind
- 2 cups water
For The Spice Mix:
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4-5 dry red chillies
- 1/4 teaspoon hing
For The Tempering:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 1/4 teaspoon hing
- A few curry leaves
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- 1/4 cup cashew nuts
For The Rice:
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Start by extracting the tangy tamarind pulp. Take the raw tamarind, remove its seeds, and soak in lukewarm water. After about half an hour, squeeze the pulp to get a thick mixture. Discard the seeds and fibre and strain the paste.
- Next, dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and dried red chillies till aromatic. Set aside.
- Once the mixture cools down, grind the roasted spices into a fine powder.
- Take a kadhai and heat some oil. Saute urad dal and mix in hing, curry leaves, peanuts, and cashew nuts. Shallow fry till the peanuts and cashew nuts turn slightly brown.
- Add the extracted tamarind pulp to the kadhai. Stir in some turmeric powder and salt and let the mixture boil.
- Once the mixture thickens, add cooked rice and mix well. Cook for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavours to combine.
- Transfer the Pulihora to a plate and serve hot.
Tips To Make The Perfect Pulihora
Your Rice Matters
One of the ingredients that can make or break your South Indian-style Pulihora is the choice of rice. Unlike North Indian recipes, you should opt for short-grained rice so that they are well-mixed into the tamarind mixture. Also, while cooking rice, make sure that you use less water than usual, as soggy rice will impact the flavour of imli and veggies.
Quality Of Tamarind
Once you’ve mastered rice, the other part of tamarind rice is, of course, imli. To make sure that you get a tangy taste, you should pick a good quality of tamarind. If possible, get a pack of seedless imli. Then, take some time to soak and simmer to make the imli paste, which enhances the natural sweet and sour flavour.
Additional Flavours
Experimenting with flavours and ingredients that suit your taste will make you fall in love with tamarind rice. If you like your meals to be on the sweeter side, you can add some jaggery to the tamarind pulp. Or, if you want to make it spicier or tangier, you can add more chillies and a squeeze of lemon, respectively.
Temper The Ingredients
Dry roasting the ingredients like mustard seeds, urad dal, and chillies is a non-negotiable. The tempered ingredients help to bring out a deeper flavour and prevent a subtle raw or bitter aftertaste.
Let It Rest
Once your tamarind rice is cooked, you can have some, but store most of it. Since Pulihora tastes better the next day after all the tangy, sweet, sour, and spicy notes are well-meddled together, you can reheat it and serve it with dahi and papad.