Pulihora/Puliyogare/Puliyodharai - Tamarind Rice

Pulihora, Chitrannam or Tamarind Rice.. all refer to the same dish, a rice delicacy prepared using tamarind. This is the one dish which is prepared on any festival. It doesnt need a special intro to many South Indians esp., to those from Andra, Karnataka and TamilNadu; though the name and the taste differs slightly from state to state. To Kannadians it is Puliyogare and to Tamilians it is Puliyodharai. It is even served as prasadam in many temples.

Pulihora

It was so often made during festivals or during outings that my father sometimes used to make fun saying that it is a default menu in our households; for festivals it is pulihora and payasam, and for outings it is pulihora and perugannam(daddojanam).

This is the recipe from my mom, and never goes wrong.

Ingredients:
Rice: 2 cups (uncooked)
Chana Dal: 1/4th cup
Tamarind paste: 2 Tbsp
Green Chillies: 8 (adjust acc. to your taste buds)
Curry Leaves: 2 stalks
Ground Nuts/Cashew Nuts: 1/2 cup
Dry Red Chilles: 5
Hing/Asafoetida: a pinch
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1tsp
Urad Dal: 2 tsp
Haldi: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 4 Tbsp

How I did it:

1. Boil Rice, along with Chana dal, adding little salt and oil. Keep aside for further use.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and add red chilles, urad dal, cashews/groundnuts, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
3. Fry on medium heat till seeds splutter.
4. Add haldi, hing, green chilles, curry leaves. Fry for few more mins.
5. Add the tamarind paste, and salt. Let is cook for 5 mins.
6. Take out from heat and mix it with the cooked rice.
7. Adjust salt, and serve.

Pulihora

And the Verdict:
Delicious. And perfect for any occasion. This was my favorite from my childhood and still remains the favorite.
It can also be prepared using Lemon or Raw Mango, instead of Tamarind. It depends on an individuals taste buds, as how they like it.
It is a traditional Andra recipe, and a must try for everyone!

Food Event:
This is my entry for the RCI - Karnataka event being hosted by Asha of Foodie's Hope.