Puliyodharai

Puliyodharai

Puliyodharai

Veg Vegan

Cooked rice tossed with a thick, concentrated paste of tamarind, sesame seeds, dried red chillies, and freshly ground spices, tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and peanuts in sesame oil. The definitive temple rice of Tamil Nadu — prepared as neivedyam at every South Indian temple and distributed to devotees after puja. The puliyodharai of Chennai's Kapaleeshwarar Temple is considered the gold standard.

Cuisines

Chettinad Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras Andhra

Best for

Lunch

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min Total: 60 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal
1 teaspoon chana dal
2 tablespoons peanuts
2 tablespoons curry leaves
3 dried red chilies
1 pinch asafoetida
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons puliyodharai spice mix
1 teaspoon jaggery
— salt to taste
2 cups water

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes.
  2. 2 Cook the rice with 2 cups of water until done and let it cool.
  3. 3 Heat sesame oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
  4. 4 Add urad dal, chana dal, peanuts, and fry until golden brown.
  5. 5 Add curry leaves, dried red chilies, and a pinch of asafoetida. Stir well.
  6. 6 Add tamarind pulp, turmeric powder, and puliyodharai spice mix. Cook until the oil separates.
  7. 7 Add jaggery and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes.
  8. 8 Mix the prepared tamarind mixture with the cooled rice gently until well combined.
  9. 9 Let the flavors meld for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Tips

For extra flavour, roast the peanuts and dals separately before adding to the oil.