Puliogare

A traditional dish Puliyogare is straightforward and popular recipe of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh used as Prasad in temples and festivals like Vinayaka Chathurthi. Each home has its own variation of the popular Puliyogare mix which is a combination of spices that include Coriander seeds, Channa Dal, Fenugreek seeds and Red Chillies that are roasted and ground to a fine powder. It is this magic mix along with a concoction of spices, tamarind paste, jaggery and roasted peanuts that gives this dish its distinct taste.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serving : 6

Ingredients

Raw rice – 2 cups (cook such that each grain is separate, spread to cool)
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Tamarind – large lemon size ball (soak in ½ cup hot water and extract juice.)
Jaggery Powder – ½ tbsp
Roasted Peanuts – approx 1/3 cup
Salt to taste

For tempering

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Channa Dal – 1 tbsp (split Bengal Gram)
Urad dal – 1 tbsp (split black gram)
Asafoetida Powder – ¼ tsp
Dry Red Chilli -2, tear and de-seed
Gingelly Oil – 3 tbsp

Puliogare Powder Mix

Coriander seeds – 2 ½ tbsp
Channa Dal – 1 tbsp
Urad Dal – ½ tbsp
Methi Seeds – ½ tbsp
Cumin Seeds – ½ tbsp
White Sesame Seeds – 11/2 tbsp
Curry Leaves – 2 sprigs (15-18 leaves)
Black Pepper Corns – ½ tbsp (for more spice use 1 tbsp)
Dry Chillis – 4-5 nos.

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and boil the rice in 8-10 cups water. Cook the rice such that each grain is separate. While the rice is cooking, prepare the Puliyogare mix.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients called for 'Puliyogare mix powder' on low to medium flame for 14-15 minutes. Do not burn the spices. Cool and grind to a powder. Keep aside.
3. Spread the cooked rice on a wide plate to cool. Once cool, mix salt to taste, sprinkle one tbsp of oil and few fresh curry leaves over the cooled rice and keep aside.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil, add the Mustard Seeds and let them splutter. Add the Channa Dal and Urad Dal and fry till the Dals turn red. Next add Red Chillis, Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
5. Add the tamarind extract and jaggery and cook till the raw smell of tamarind disappears, approx 9-11 minutes on low to medium flame. Stir constantly while cooking until the oil separates and appears like a thick but flowing paste. Remove from heat.
6. Add three fourth of the cooked tamarind mixture to the rice and mix well. Adjust salt. Finally mix two heaped tablespoons of the roasted Puliyogare mix and the roasted peanuts. Taste the rice at this stage and if you feel that the rice needs to be more tangy, add the remaining tamarind mixture.
7. Let it sit for at least an hour for the flavours to set in before serving.

Tips

§  Puliyogare tastes best after sitting for a couple of hours from the time of preparation.

§  For a spicier flavor, you can add 2 1/2 tbsps of the roasted Puliyogare powder instead of 2 heaped tablespoons.

§  Alternatively you can buy and use branded Puliyogare powder instead of preparing it yourself.

§  If too spicy you can reduce dry red chillis in the Puliyogare mix ingredients.

§  Store the left over Puliyogare powder in an air tight container in case of later use.

§  The colour of the Puliyogare depends on the colour of the tamarind used.