It is usually offered to the Gods and distributed to devotees in temples as ‘prasadam’ or
blessed food.
2 cups Rice
½ cup Thick Tamarind Pulp
¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder/Manjal Podi/Haldi
½ teaspoon Asafoetida Powder/Perungaayam/Hing
½ cup Roasted Peanuts, skinned (optional)
½ cup Sesame Oil
2 teaspoons Salt
For seasoning
¼ teaspoon Mustard Seeds/Kadugu/Rai
½ teaspoon Bengal Gram/Kadalai Paruppu/Chana Dhal
4 Dried Red Chillies, halved
A few Curry leaves/Karuveppalai/Kari Patha, torn coarsely
Cook the rice in 5 cups of water. Each grain of the cooked rice should be separate.
Set aside to cool.
Heat a tablespoon of oil, add the mustard to pop. Add the dhal, stir for 10 seconds
until it turns golden. Add the chillies and fry till it becomes red. Put in half of the
curry leaves.
Add the peanuts and sauté for 20 seconds.
Add tamarind pulp, a cup of water, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and salt.
Cover and simmer over a medium flame for 5-7 minutes. Open the lid and cook
until it becomes a thick sauce.
Add the remaining oil and curry leaves; take it off the stove.
Mix the sauce and rice well without mashing it.
Keep the puliyodharai rice for a couple of hours before serving.
Serve with fried papads or rice wafers/vadaams available in the Indian grocery. Great for
picnics and travelling.
Tasty Tip: Add ½ teaspoon of jaggery to balance the hot and tangy flavour of the
tamarind rice. A dash of fresh lime juice will make the dish more exotic.