Inji Puli (Puli Inji)
A sweet, sour and spicy ginger-tamarind relish that opens the palate at the start of a Kerala sadya, balancing the many dishes that follow.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 60 kcal
Equipment
- •Small heavy pan
- •Grinding stone or blender
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- fat
- 2 g
- carbs
- 13 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 1 g
- calories
- 60 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Squeeze the soaked tamarind and strain it through a sieve into a bowl. Discard the leftover seeds and fibres.
- 2
Heat coconut oil in a small heavy pan. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and let them pop.
- 3
Add dried red chillies and curry leaves. Fry them briefly until fragrant.
- 4
Add chopped ginger and slit green chillies. Cook gently on low heat for 5-6 minutes until the ginger softens slightly.
- 5
Pour in the tamarind pulp along with turmeric powder and salt. Stir well to mix.
- 6
Simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the raw tamarind smell goes and the mixture thickens slightly.
- 7
Add the grated jaggery (unrefined sugar). Stir constantly until it fully melts into a glossy, thick sauce.
- 8
Keep simmering until the relish becomes thick like jam and coats the back of a spoon.
- 9
Let it cool completely. Spoon into a clean glass jar.
Chef's tips
Chop the ginger very finely so it blends evenly into the relish. The cooked relish should hold its shape on a spoon rather than run. The flavours deepen and taste even better after resting for a day.
Ingredient substitutions
- jaggery → dark palm sugar
- fresh tamarind → tamarind concentrate diluted with water
Storage
Store in a clean, dry glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Reheating
No reheating needed; serve at room temperature or lightly warmed if refrigerated.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cooking the ginger too quickly, leaving it sharp, raw, and overpowering.
- •Adding jaggery before the tamarind base thickens, making the relish too thin and syrupy.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Inji Puli (Puli Inji)?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from Kerala
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
