A traditional temple dish that is made with tamarind and rice. To get the real taste of this tamarind rice (Puliyodharai), you have to use only gingelly oil. You can use ground nut with skin or without skin. If you want crispy taste, instead of adding the groundnut while seasoning, you can add when mixing the rice. Instead of ground nut, you can add soaked whole gram (Kondai kadalai) along with the tamarind juice and cook.
How to make
Tamarind Rice, also known as Puliyodharai, is a flavorful South Indian dish. It is made from cooked rice and a tangy tamarind paste.
To prepare, first, cook the rice until it is soft. Make sure it’s not mushy. Then spread it out on a plate. Drizzle with oil. Next, create the tamarind base (Pulikaichal). Soak tamarind in water. Squeeze out the juice. Break red chillies into smaller pieces. In a pan, fry a mix of ingredients. These include asafoetida, Bengal gram dhal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, and red chillies. Fry them until they are golden. Then cool the mixture and grind it into a powder.
In another pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds until they pop. Then add Bengal gram dhal, ground nuts, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves. Fry them until they are fragrant. Stir in turmeric, then add the tamarind juice and salt, letting it boil. Once well-cooked, incorporate the ground spice powder, allowing the mixture to thicken until the oil floats on top.
Finally, combine the prepared tamarind paste with the cooked rice, mixing gently and optionally adding gingelly oil for enhanced flavor. Tamarind Rice is now ready to serve, offering a delicious blend of tanginess and spice.
Tamarind Rice Recipe Video
Recipe
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Tamarind Rice (Puliyodharai)
10
servings10
minutes20
minutesDiscover the authentic flavors of tamarind rice (Puliyodharai), a traditional temple dish made with tamarind and rice. Learn the key ingredients and variations for a crispy and delicious experience.
Ingredients
Raw Rice – 2 cups
Tamarind – An Orange size
Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- To fry and grind:
Red chillies– 4
Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon
Bengal gram dhal – 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Hard Asafoetida – Gooseberry size
- For seasoning:
Gingelly Oil – 6 to 7 tablespoons
Mustard – one teaspoon
Red chillies – 5 to 6
Bengal Gram Dhal – 1 tablespoon
Groundnut – 2 to 3 tablespoons
Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves – few
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
Directions
- Cooking the Rice
- Cook rice till soft (but not mushy). Put it in a plate or broad vessel and spread it. Sprinkle one or two teaspoon oil over it.
- Preparing Pulikaichal (Tamarind Base)
- Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the juice. Break the red chillies into four or five pieces.
- In a kadai put a teaspoon of oil. Fry the ingredients given under “To fry and Grind” (hard asafoetida, bengal gram dhal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chillies). Cool it and powder it.
- In another kadai put the oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up, add Bengal gram dhal and fry till it turns light brown. Add ground nut, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and curry leaves and fry for a while. Add turmeric powder and stir well.
- Then add Tamarind juice along with salt and mix well. Close with a lid and let it boil on medium heat.
- Once it is boiled well, add the ground spice powder to the tamarind mixture. Mix well and cook till the oil floats on top. Remove it from stove. It looks like tamarind paste and called “Pulikaichal”.
- Preparing Puliyodharai (Tamarind Rice)
- Add required Pulikaichal (Tamarind Paste) gradually to cooked rice and mix gently. When mixing you can add one or two teaspoon gingelly oil.
Recipe Video
Notes
- To get the real taste, you have to use only gingelly oil. You can use ground nut with skin or without skin. If you want crispy taste, instead of adding the groundnut while seasoning, you can add when mixing the rice. Instead of ground nut, you can add soaked whole gram (Kondai kadalai) along with the tamarind juice and cook.
- If you use solid Asafoetida (Katti Perungayam), you can fry along with other ingredients and powder it. If you use asafoetida powder, then add it in the seasoning.
- If you like, you can also add one or two teaspoons of til seeds (Ellu). Add them along with the roasting ingredients and powder it.
- You can also add a teaspoon of black pepper along with the roasting ingredients and powder it.
- This paste can be stored for a month or so and can be used as and when required.
hello aunty,
Tamarind Rice came out well and the receipe is awesome. I had been regularly trying your receipes and it is really very good. One of my friend is in 4th month, but she has morning sickness and nausea. Want to call her home for lunch,can you please suggest what kind of rice and side dish I can make for her.
Looking forward for your reply.
Thanks,
Hema
Hi Hema,
Thank you for your kind comments. For your friend, you can make “Puzhi Kuzhambu” (Check here for recipe: https://www.kamalascorner.com/2011/11/garlic-brinjal-puzhi-kuzhambu.html
Also try any other Vatha Kuzhambu variety, recipe available in my blog.
Try “Orange Skin Pachadi”, “Ginger Thokku” “Garlic Coriander Podi” or even “Kothumalli Thokku”. Recipes for all the above are available in my site.
Thank you so much aunty for your kind suggestion.
Hello Kamala
Happy and prosperous new year and Pongal. The above receipe i have tried it came out nicely. i want to know how to make puliyodarai powder.
hello aunty,
i tried ur tamarind reccipe today, it was great, just like what u get in shop. but the oil i added was totally taken up by the gravy, it didn’t have that floating oil look. May i know why so, should i add more oil?
Hi Preethi,
To get the floating oil look, you have to add more oil and it is necessary if you want to preserve the paste for long. Otherwise, just use the oil mentioned in the above recipe.
hello mam,
can this paste be preserved and for how long. can it be preserved in the fridge.please reply.
regards,
devika
Hi Devika,
This “Puli Kaichal” (Tamarind paste) can be stored for a week and even for more days if you keep it in the fridge and use only dry spoons.
hi kamala, this measurement is for 2 cups of cooked rice or uncooked raw rice. plz tell me.
thanks
Hi Priya,
It is for 2 cups uncooked rice.
mam u didn’t mentioned how much urad dal should b used for grinding?…..
Hi Bharathi,
Your question is under Tamarind rice and cannot understand. Can you please let me know what exactly you want.
Mam
In your preparation column you have mentioned about urad dhal and in the items to be fried and ground, it is not mentioned. Can u let us know whether urad dhal is needed for the ground powder.
It is missed out in the ingredients column. I will add it.
How much of Urad dhal to be used in powder making aunty. It’s not there in the ingredient list