Puliyodharai
Rice tossed in a concentrated tamarind-sesame paste roasted with a distinct spice blend, a Tamil temple prasadam dish that also travels well for journeys and picnics.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •Kadai
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 14 g
- carbs
- 48 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Dry roast sesame seeds, dried red chillies, coriander seeds and chana dal separately until golden. Let cool, then grind into a fine powder.
- 2
Squeeze out the tamarind juice from the soaked pulp.
- 3
Heat sesame oil generously in a kadai (deep pan). Fry the peanuts until crisp, then take them out.
- 4
In the same oil, fry mustard seeds and curry leaves until they crackle and pop.
- 5
Add the tamarind extract, turmeric, jaggery and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- 6
Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stop when it thickens into a dense paste with oil on top.
- 7
Stir in the ground spice powder. Cook for 3-4 minutes more until well combined.
- 8
Let the tamarind paste cool slightly. Mix it thoroughly into cooled cooked rice with the fried peanuts, adding paste to taste.
Chef's tips
Use rice that has cooled completely with separated grains, as warm rice turns mushy. You can make this tamarind paste in bulk and store it for later.
Ingredient substitutions
- peanuts → roasted chana dal
Storage
The tamarind paste keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks; mixed rice is best eaten within a day.
Reheating
Best served at room temperature; avoid reheating mixed rice.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Mixing warm rice with the paste, which makes it clump together
- •Under-cooking the tamarind paste, leaving a raw sour taste
Serving suggestions
Cooked Puliyodharai?
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