Ingredients
Method
- Cook the rice in rice cooker in 1:2 ratio of water (see note 1) for a perfectly cooked rice.
Tamarind sauce Preparation
- Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 to 30 mins
- Then extract the juice by smushing the Tamarind and use a filter to remove pulp
- Do this 2 to 3 times so to extract all the juice from tamarind pulp. Then discard the pulp.
- Mix in salt and turmeric powder and keep the tamarind juice aside.
Puliyodarai karachal / sauce
- Heat sesame oil in a pan in medium heat. Do not reduce the oil - See note 2
- Add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter then add urad dal, chana dal. Sauté until the dals turn golden and the spices are fragrant.
- Reduce flame to medium low and add dried red chilies, garlic, and curry leaves . Make sure not to burn the chilly and garlic.
- Sauté for 2 minutes
- Add the prepared tamarind sauce to the pan. Bring it to boil and then simmer on medium–low heat
- until the sauce thickens and oil starts to separate. Remove from heat.
- Pulikaachal is ready to mix with rice or store in a airtight container. See Notes
Mixing Rice and Pulikaachal
- You can use the Pulikaachal as needed and save the rest in refrigerator.
- Stir the paste so that the contents are evenly mixed before adding to the rice. Pour the tamarind paste over the hot rice and serve with Coconut Thuvaiyal and vadagam (fries)
Notes
- Use Raw Rice or Jeeraga Samba rice - it needs 2 times water (1:2 ratio) and will not go mushy while mixing with the paste.
- While cooking rice, always add rice to rice cooker after the water starts boiling so it will cook soft not mushy.
- Do not reduce the oil and boil in low heat until paste thickens and oils seperates. -Oil increase the shelf life of the paste and keeps the paste from drying out. And when mixed with rice will keep it from drying out.
- This Pulikaachal will give you a perfect Puliyodharai - spicy tangy and moist