Mango rice preparations is much similar to the lemon rice but will be with mango’s sour taste added coz of raw mango prepared in tamilnadu style. My friend advised me not to make any dishes with onions on Varalakshimi Nonbu and I decided to make this. So this rice don’t have onions, but if needed they can be added.
I like potatoes cooked in any form. This is one of my favorite recipe for sambar and curd rice. Any green peas ( sweet, frozen or hard ) can be used for this or even they can be skipped. Still it tastes good.
Aval is a flattened rice which when soaked in water absorbs and bulges like rice. Aval / Poha is a famous breakfast item. They are soft and can be eaten uncooked with mixing sugar and coconut.
Rasam is very famous side in South India and prepared in most of the south Indian Families. Rasam rice would be must in most the lunch meal. Rasam rice served along with vadam or pappad makes a very good combination. Most of the kids love white rice mixed up with rasam.
Vatha Kulambu is a very famous brahmin side dish. This is a chettinadu special vatha kulambu. This is normally prepared with vathal ( sun dried vegetables ). Applam can be replaced with dry broad beans / dry ladies finger etc. Thick tamarind sauce with sun dried vegetables cooked in sesame oil tastes heavenly with steamed white rice.
Will there be a week without dhal sambar at my house ? should be the question. I love the version of drumstick / Murungagkkai sambar. This is a common gravy served in any parties at my place. A traditional kongunadu paruppu samber.
I’ve always loved the puliyodharai served in temples and always wanted to make it at home to have it when ever I feel like. This is the closest I could getto that temple one.
The key is the masala powder and roasted peanut added to the recipe. At my home they never used to add the podi but I like it with the podi. it gives the nice aroma.
Tamarind Rice / Iyengar Kovil Puliyodharai / Puli Sadam
Author: Sashi
Ingredients
Tamarind – big lemon size
Rice – 4 cup
Sesame oil – 4 tsp
Mustard seed – 1/4 tsp
Channa dhal – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – 1 pinch
Red chili – 7 nos
Curry leaves – 1 strand
Peanut – 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
To fry and grid :
Red Chili – 5 nos
Channa dhal – 2 tsp
Coriander seed – 2 tsp
Fenugreek seed – 1/4 tsp
Sesame seed – 1 tbsp
Instructions
PREP:
Extract tamarind juice to not more than 1- 1.5 cups.
Fry the items given in to fry in a pan with little oil until golden brown and the sesame seed starts crackling. Grind this to fine powder.
COOKING:
Heat oil – 4 tbsp in a pan, when it’s hot, add mustard, channa dhal, asafoetida, red chili, peanut, curry leaves and fry this for a minute.
Remove the fried peanut at this stage if you like it crunchy which is the way I do it. But it’s optional step.
Add tamarind juice extract, turmeric and salt. Allow this to cook till oil separates in medium flame and stir often, it going to take around 20-30 mins.
Add ground powder – 2 tsp and mix well. Keep it on the stove for about 5 minutes in low flame.
Add the rice and mix gently. Taste for salt and add if required.
Add the remaining ground powder if any now and allow the rice mix to stay for 30 min before serving.
TIPS:
Use the whole batch of ground powder if needed for enhanced taste.
Peanut enhances the taste
Cashew nuts can also be added to enhance the taste.
You can grind the podi in bulk and save it in refrigerator for future usage upto 2 months.
