Puliyodharai

5 from 1 vote

A recipe for the best Puliyodharai made in Amma's kitchen.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main

Cuisine: South Indian, Tamil

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 116kcal

A lemon size ball of tamarind pods , soaked in about 4 cups of water. When the tamarind softens, crush it with your fingers to extract all the juice, and discard the solids.
2 red chili peppers
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon chana dal (bengal gram)
1 tablespoon udad dal (black gram)
2 tablespoon peanuts
1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
A generous pinch of asafetida (hing)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric

Dry-roast the fenugreek seeds until they darken slightly to a reddish hue.
In a tiny bit of oil, fry the red chilies. Remove, and use a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
In a spice grinder, powder the fenugreek and chili peppers along with about ½ teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
Heat remaining oil and add the mustard, asafetida, chilies, chana dal and urad dal. Fry for a minute, then add the peanuts.
Once the peanuts start browning, add the tamarind sauce, the chili-fenugreek powder, and check seasoning. Add more salt if needed.
Let the tamarind sauce reduce on a low flame until it has thickened to a consistency almost like that of molasses (it'll even look a little like molasses with the dals and peanuts suspended in it, but won't be as sticky)
This sauce will store for weeks if kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When the crackle, add the curry leaves and peanuts and fry until the peanuts turn pale brown.
Add the peanuts, mustard and curry leaves to the rice along with the tamarind sauce. Mix thoroughly. Add more tamarind sauce if you need.