TAMARIND RICE/ANDHRA SPECIALITY CHINTAPANDU PULIHORA/SOUR RICE
Tangy and sour rice is a speciality of South Indian states. This is routinely cooked in their everyday menu. The sourness comes from tamarind, lemon or sometimes cocum. This divine tamarind rice is cooked in temples to offer the diety for blessings and then served to the common people as prasaadam. I had an opportunity to get this tamarind rice as prasaadam at Sri Narasimha Swami Temple in Vizag. This was a true blessing to get this divine pulihora in the form of Prasad. Since then I often cook this tasty rice dish in my kitchen
This rice dish is a blend of flavours and aromas. Tamarind is added for tanginess. A special masala, prepared with lentils and whole spices; adds wonderful flavours to the rice dish. This dish is cooked in two parts. One is to steam the rice and the other one is to give a tadka to this steamed rice with some lentils, whole spices, a few nuts and the tamarind pulp. The final dish comes out with unexplained flavours and aromas that you can’t resist yourself to eat hurriedly
Prep Time- 20 minutes
Cook Time – 20 minutes
Cuisine – Andhra Pradesh/Telangana
Course – Main
Author – Bharti Dhawan
● INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR SPICE MIX/MASALA
• Chana dal – 1 tbsp
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
• Whole coriander seeds – 1 tsp
• Whole black pepper – 1 tsp
• Fenugreek/Methi seeds – 1 tsp
• Asafoetida/Hing powder – 1/4 tsp
• Whole red pepper – 1-2 or more/ to taste(I use less)
● INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR PULIHORA
• Rice (any type) – 1 bowl
• Water to boil rice – 4 cups
• Temrind/Imli – 2 tbsp/big lemon-sized
• Water to soak tamarind – 1/2 bowl
• Whole red chilly – 1-2 /to taste
• Salt – 1+1 tsp/to taste
• Chana dal – 1 tbsp
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
• Whole coriander – 1 tsp
• Cumin/jeera – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Whole black pepper – 1 tsp
• Asafoetida/hing – 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves – 2 springs
• Groundnut – 1/2 bowl
• Cashews – 5-6
• Oil – 2-3 tbsp
● PREPARATIONS TO BE DONE
• Soak tamarind/imli for 20 minutes and mash with hand. Strain the imli water and pulp through a mesh and keep aside
● METHOD OF PULIHORA MASALA
1 – Add all the spices written under ‘INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR SPICE MIX/MASALA‘ and dry roast at low flame for 2-3 minutes.
2 – When the spices are cooled, grind them to make a masala to add to the rice later
● METHOD OF COOKING PULIHORA
1 – First of all, take a saucepan and add rinsed rice, water and 1 tsp salt. Allow it to boil until the rice is cooked nicely (Avoid cooking to a mushy consistency)
2 – When rice is boiled, drain the extra water through a colander and keep the boiled rice aside
3 – Now add oil to a pan and drop chana dal and urad dal. Fry them for a minute and add mustard seeds, black pepper, and cumin/jeera. Allow them to crackle
4 – Add ground nuts and cashew nuts. Fry them with the spices.
5 – Add whole red chilli and curry leaves. Fry them well
6 – Add imli water and pulp to the fried ingredients
7 – Add the ground spice mix/pulihora masala and salt. Mix well and give a boil for a minute
8 – Finally, add boiled rice and combine well with the mix. Switch off the gas now
9 – Divine and flavoursome tamarind rice is ready. Serve the tasty rice with dal or curries in the meal
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