Inji Puli, a delicacy hailing from Kerala, is typically composed of ginger, tamarind, jaggery, coconut oil, and red or green chilies. I personally experimented with replacing the coconut oil with gingelly oil and found the flavor to be delightful. This dish pairs excellently with curd rice.
Inji Puli
Discover the spicy and tangy flavors of the Kerala specialty, Inji Puli! Made with ginger, tamarind, and jaggery, it’s a must-try dish that pairs perfectly with curd rice.
10
servings10
minutes20
minutesIngredients
Ginger finely chopped – 1 cup
Tamarind – a lemon size
Green Chillies – 6 to 8
Red Chilli Powder – 2 teaspoons
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Jaggery powdered – 2 to 3 tablespoons
Roasted and ground Fenugreek Powder -1 teaspoon
Asafoetida Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- For seasoning:
Oil – 4 to 6 tablespoons
Mustard – 1 teaspoon
Urad Dal – 1 Teaspoon
Red Chillies – 3 to 4
Curry Leaves – Few
Salt – 2 teaspoons or as per taste
Directions
- Start by washing the ginger and peeling off the skin. Finely chop the ginger until you have approximately one cup.
- Similarly, chop the green chillies into small pieces.
- Soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water and squeeze out the juice. Adjust the quantity of water to make two cups of thick tamarind juice.
- In a frying pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the urad dal and red chillies, both cut into small pieces.
- Once the dal turns light brown, add the chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Fry them for a while.
- Add the chopped ginger to the pan and fry until its raw smell disappears and it turns slightly brown.
- Pour in the tamarind extract and stir well. Allow the contents to boil for a few minutes.
- Reduce the heat and add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, and salt. Stir well and allow it to boil.
- Next, add the jaggery and continue cooking on medium flame until the mixture thickens to a semi-solid consistency.
- Finally, sprinkle in the fenugreek powder and remove the pan from the stove.