Kovil Puliyodharai |Temple Style Tamarind Rice
Kovil Puliyodharai is South Indian Temple Style Tamarind Rice. Easy step by Step pics to make Puliyodharai at home for festivals like Aadi 18, Navratri, Pongal
Servings 10
Equipment
- Mixer Grinder
Ingredients
Puliyodharai Podi
- 5 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
- 2 tablespoon Chana Dal
- 2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- 5-6 Dry Whole Red Chillies I have used Beydgi Chilies
- ½ teaspoon Oil for Roasting the chillies.
Pulikachal Ingredients (spicy tamarind paste)
- 1 Lemon Size Tamarind Ball large lemon size ball or 2 small
- 3/4 cup Hot Water for soaking tamarind
- ½ cup Sesame Oil 1 cup is 250 ml measurement
- 1 tablespoon Chana Dal (Kadala Paruppu or Bengal Gram Dal)
- 2 tablespoon Groundnuts (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Hing or Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 3-4 Dry Whole Red Chillies
- 2 teaspoon Jaggery
Ingredients for Kovil Puliyodharai
- 1 cup Cooked Rice
- 1 tablespoon Puliyodharai Mix (Paste)
- ½ teaspoon Puliyodharai Podi mix
- 2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- salt to taste
- Curry leaves + extra groundnuts as required
Instructions
Puliyodharai Podi
- Heat a pan, dry roast coriander seeds and keep aside.
- In the same pan, dry roast chana dal until brown. Set it aside to cool. Repeat the process with sesame seeds.
- In the pan, add a drop of oil and sauté whole red chilies. set it aside to cool with the other ingredients.
- Once cool, coarsely grind the ingredients and store in an airtight container.
How to make Pulikachal
- Soak large Lemon Size Tamarind Ball in 3/4 cup hot water for 15 minutes.
- Squeeze and collect the thick extract (around 1.5 cups) and keep aside.
- Soak Groundnuts in water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
- Heat a pan, add 1/2 cup sesame oil (more oil is used for long shelf life).
- Add mustard seeds, chana dal and whole red chilies. Once mustard crackles, add the thick tamarind extract and soaked groundnuts.
- Next add turmeric powder, hing or asafoetida and red chilli powder.
- Mix well and allow it to simmer on low flame until it thickens. Cook this until there is no raw tamarind smell.
- Add jaggery, salt to taste and mix well.
- Next add the podi and you will notice the pulikachal consistency to thicken. Switch off heat, remove the pan from heat and allow it to cool completely.
Making Kovil Pulidharai
- In a bowl, add one cup cooked rice, 1 heaped tablespoon of Pulikachal, 2 teaspoon of sesame oil or gingelly oil and a teaspoon of puliyodharai podi.
- Mix all the ingredients (preferably using your hands). Rest for couple of minutes until the rice absorbs the flavors and serve.
Notes
You can make 10-12 cups of puliyodharai using the above measurement. You can add extra puliyodharai paste or podi as per your preference. Do not skimp on oil, it is essential for long shelf life.
Notes on Ingredients -
- Color of puliyodharai depends on tamarind variety and red chilies used for making puliyodharai podi. I have used seedless dark tamarind.
- Jaggery is added to balance the sourness from tamarind. Do not skip. Always taste and add extra, if required.
- Pulikachal or puliyodharai paste stays fresh for over a month, when stored properly.
- Once cool, transfer the paste to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
- Puliyodharai stays fresh for 48 hours. It is every South Indian's preferred choice for long distance travel.
- Under refrigeration, you may feel that the paste has dried out. It is completely fine as long as there is no mold formation.