Tangy Spicy Pulikaichal (Puliyodarai Mix)

Pulikaichal is a ready to use mix to prepare the traditional Pulisadam/Puliyodarai/Imli Chawal/Tamarind Rice in south India. If it is prepared properly it can be even kept for a month. Tamarind is known as Puli in Tamil and as Imli in Hindi. As tamarind is the star ingredient, it is called as Puli-kaichal.

This pulikaichal can also be lightly applied as a spread in bread, chappati. I love to have pulikaichal as side dish for curd rice.

Ingredients

• Tamarind – small orange size
• Red chilli – 10 no
• Fenugreek seed – 1 table spoon
• Turmeric powder – 1 tea spoon
• Powdered jaggery – 1 tea spoon
• Roasted and powdered black sesame powder – 1 tea spoon
• Asafoetida – peanut size chopped
• Salt – as per taste
• For seasoning
  • Peanut skinned – ½ cup
  • Bengal gram – 2 table spoon
  • Urad dal – 2 table spoon
  • Mustard – 1 table spoon
  • Red chilli – 10 no
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Sesame oil – ½ cup

Method

• Soak tamarind in water and extract juice; dry roast red chilli, asafetida, fenugreek and powder it coarsely.

• In a pan add oil and do the seasoning; let peanut and other grams get crisp; add turmeric powder, tamarind juice, salt and boil it for five minutes approximately in moderate flame to remove raw smell of tamarind.

• Add ground spices and keep cooking till the gravy gets thick; you can see the oil separating and floating on the surface.

• Add sesame powder, jaggery powder and boil for few minutes; remove and cool it.

• Store in a air tight container.

Tips

• Sesame powder gives nice flavor to pulikaichal and jaggery helps to balance the hot and sour taste.