TAMARIND RICE / PULIHORA

Tamirind rice/pulihora do not need any introduction to South Indians and especially Andhrites. Pulihora is a festive rice dish made with tamarind or lemon or mango. It’s made for all occasions - marriages,festivals,poojas. This sour, spicy, tangy delicacy can be made easily . It is the dish that can be taken along for picnic or a long train journey. The addictive flavor of pulihora makes you crave for more.
Apart from ladoo, pulihora is also served as 'prasadam' in most of the temples. When I talk about temples and prasadam I remember the pulihora prasadam at Tirupathi. It is the most tasteful pulihora that I ever ate. The  tadka  has the  mustard seeds paste (aava pettina pulihora) and the peppercorns are also added to give the spiciness. What ever may be the reason, the taste is because , it is the nivedyam offered to God and served as the prasadam to devotees.
INGREDIENTS

• Rice                    1+1/2 cup
• Water                  3 cups
• Tamarind             lemon sized ball
• Oil                       3/4 cup
• Salt                      to taste
• Turmeric              1/2tsp
• Green chilies       4-5
• Red chilies           3-4
• Ground nuts       1/4 cup
• Cashews               2 Tsp
• Chana dal             1 Tsp
• Urad wash            1Tsp
• Mustard seeds      1/2 Tsp
• Hing                      a pinch
• Curry leaves          10
• Fenugreek seeds    1/2 tsp
• sugar/ jaggery         1 tsp

PROCEDURE
Cook the rice, see that it is not sticky, and cool it and keep aside. Soak the tamarind for 30 minutes(5 minutes in hot water) and extract thick juice from it. The juice should be approximately 1/2 cup. If the juice is  more liquid then it will be 3/4 cup. In a pan add the oil and when it is heated add the ground nuts and fry them and remove to a plate. In the same oil add the chana dal, urad wash, mustard seeds and when these are half done add the cashews, turmeric,red chilies,curry leaves. Now when every thing is fried add it to the rice. Add the fried ground nuts also to the rice and mix well. In the same pan add the tamarind extract and let cook on a slow flame. Deseed the green chilies and cut lengthwise and add to the tamarind juice. Stir occasionally and add the salt, fenugreek seeds, Sugar. When the tamarind juice is completely cooked and the raw flavor is gone add this to rice( add this little by little by mixing simultaneously so that the pulihora don’t become sour).  Mix well  till every thing incorporates into rice. Rest for half an hour and serve with curd.
TIPS

• The rice should not be too hot before mixing every thing, otherwise you will end up with sticking of grains  to each other and form to a paste.
• Sugar and fenugreek seeds compensate the sourness.
• A spoon full Mustard seed paste can be used in the tadka to make the aava pettina pulihora
• Alternatively pepper corns and pepper powder can be used in the tadka to get the extra flavor and spiciness.
• Add the turmeric to the oil so that whole rice gets the yellow color.
• Mixing turmeric to the rice directly gives rice the raw flavor of turmeric .