Tamarind Rice/Puliyodarai/Puliyogare

Puliyodarai or Tamarind Rice is a specialty food of Tamil Brahmins and whole of south India (Andhra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu) except Kerala. It is used to be the carried over in case of a long pilgrimage. It was called "ketti choru".

Let us see how this can be made.

Preparation 1: Boil rice (1 cup) and keep ready.
Gingely Oil (1/2 cup approx.) for roasting etc.


Preparation 2: Ingredients:

1. Bengal Gram / Gram Dal - 1 Tablespoon
2. Corriander Seeds - 2 Tablespoon
3. Pepper - 1/2 Teaspoon

Dry roast the above ingredients, powder it and keep it aside.

Preparation 3: Ingredients:

1. Red Chilies - 5 to 6 (depending upon the spiciness required) [I used only 3]
2. Sesame (Til seeds) - 2 Teaspoon
3. Asafoetida - 1/2 Teaspoon
4. Fenugreek - 1/2 Teaspoon

Roast the above combination in Gingelly oil and keep aside.

Preparation 4: Ingredients:

1. Groundnut  - 1/2 cup (approx.)
2. Curry leaves - As required

Roast the above combination in Gingelly oil and keep aside.

And finally: Ingredients:

1. Black Mustard seeds - 2 Teaspoon
2. Turmeric Power - 1 Teaspoon
3. Tamarind - Size of gooseberry
4. Salt - As required

Roast mustard seeds in Gingely oil. Add Turmeric powder and Asafoetida. Add Tamarind extract (squeezed in water) and required salt to this.

Once boiled add kept aside ingredients from Preparation 2 & 3. Heat till it forms fine paste-like. Now add boiled rice and Preparation 4.

Mix rice well with the paste formed.
Garnish with roasted peanuts and Curry leaves and serve hot with Pappad.

Pudina (Mint) Rice/ Pulav

Pudina Rice

To Know more about Pudhina, Click Here.



Ingredients

Pudina Leaves - 1 1/2 cup (Lightly Packed)

Basmati Rice or Raw Rice - 2 cups
Soaked green peas - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1, Chopped

Tomato - 1, Chopped (Optional)

Green Chilli - 2 or 3

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon

Garam Masala - 1/2 Teaspoon

Garlic - 2 or 3 Cloves

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Cloves - 2

Cardamom - 2

Star Anise - 1

Cinnamon - A Small Piece

Bay Leaf - 1

Coriander Leaves - Small Quantity

Roasted Cashew Nut - 8 to 10

Oil or Ghee - 2 Teaspoon

Salt - According to your taste

4 Glass of water (Including Grinded Paste)

*Star Anise, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Cloves should be dry roasted*.

Method Of Preparation

• Wash and soak rice for 10 minutes. Drain and Keep aside.
• Make a fine paste with Mint leaves, Little coriander, Ginger, Garlic, Star Anise, Cinnamon,  Cardamom, Cloves and keep it aside.
• Heat Oil or Ghee. Add Bay leaf and Onion. Cook till onion becomes light brown. 
• Then add tomato and fry until it becomes soft.

Add rice and peas to this and sort it for 3 to 4 minutes.

• Add the grinded paste and garam masala.
• Then Add required salt, turmeric powder and water.
• Cover and cook till done.
• Garnish with Roasted Cashews, Coriander and Pudina Leaves.
• Serve hot Pudina Rice with Raitha. (Curd/Yoghurt mixed with Vegetables such as tomato, onion etc)

The pudina rice might taste little spicier when ground pepper is added to it.

Chefs favourite: Pudhina rice tastes better if prepared in coconut oil is mixed with Oil/Ghee.

Mysore Rasam

To Know more about Rasam, Click Here.



Ingredients


Group 1
Gram Dal - 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1 Teaspoon
Black Pepper - 1 tsp
Red Chilli - 2, 3
Grated Cocunut  - 1-2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Group 2
Toor Dal - 1/4 cup
Tamarind - 1 small Lemon size
Tomato - 3
Salt - According to Taste
Cilantro (Coriander) Leaves - 1 small bunch
Curry Leaves - Little
Jaggery - 1 -2 tsp (According to Taste)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp


Procedure

• Pressure Cook Toor Dal and keep it aside.
• Paste Tomato and keep it aside.
• Fry Gram Dal, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Black Pepper, Red Chilli, asafoetida and Cocunut till their colour just changes, Grind them and keep aside.
• Soak Tamarind for a while and squeeze it to take the pulp.
• Boil Tamarind extract with salt and Turmeric Powder.
• After boiling add tomato paste and Group 1 Mixture to it.
• Now add cooked dal with water. Make sure rasam is not much thick. (Compared to Other Rasams Mysore Rasam is little thick)
• Add Jaggery according to taste.
• Continue boining for 5 minutes. Add Coriander Leaves.
• Heat Oil, splutter mustard seeds, Cumin seeds and Curry Leaves, pour into the curry. 
• Mysore Rasam is ready to serve.

Mathan Pachadi ( Pumpkin Pachadi)

What is Pachadi? If you want an answer to this click here

Ingredients
Pumpkin - 1 cup
Mustard Seeds or Til (Sesame) Seeds - 1 Teaspoon.
Cocunut Oil - 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds
Curry Leaves
Red Chilli - 1 or 2
Tamarind - Small Gooseberry Size
Grated Cocunut - 1 cup
Raw Rice - 2 Teaspoon
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt - According to your taste
Jaggery - A small Piece (According to your taste)

Or you can use 1/2 tsp of sugar too...

Method Of Preparation

• Peel and cut pumpkin into small Pieces.
• Cook the pumpkin in Extract of Tamarind with Salt and Turmeric Powder.
• Grind Cocunut, Mustard seeds, Red Chilli, Raw Rice, Cumin Seeds.
• Mix the Paste to Cooked Pumpkin.
• Heat it. Add Little Jaggery to it According to your taste.
• Add Curry leaves with stem.
• Heat Oil, splutter mustard seeds, Add Curry Leaves, pour into the curry. 
• Serve hot with Rice.