How to Make Prasadam Pulihora
Tamarind rice also known as chintapandu pulihora is a common rice preparation in south indian cuisine. The taste of pulihora will be sour and spicy all at the same time. Pulihora is traditionally mixed tangy rice specially prepared during festival seasons in Andhra, Telangana, Tamilnadu and Karnataka.
There are different ways for making the pulihora where few use lime juice, raw grated mango or tamarind juice. It is served in temples as prasadam. Tamarind rice is simple and also tastes very good.
Ingredients required:
• Rice – ¼ kg
• Tamarind big lemon size – adjust to suit your taste
• Red chilies – 12
• Green chilies – 7
• Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
• Hing – 1 pinch
• Curry leaves – 4 bunches
• Sesame seeds – 1 tablespoon
• Fenugreek seeds – 1 tablespoon
• Black pepper – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon
• Jaggery – small piece
• Ground nuts – 3 tablespoons
• Bengal gram – 1 ½ tablespoon
• Splitted urad dal – 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tablespoon
• Oil – 7 tablespoons
• Salt as per taste
Preparation method:
a. Wash and soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes.
b. In the meantime slit the green chilies (7).
c. Squeeze the soaked tamarind and make a thick paste. Filter it and discard seeds, stones and pulp.
d. Heat a pan with oil (4 tablespoons), add mustard seeds (¼ tablespoon) and ground nuts (3 tablespoons).
e. Fry them under low flame.
f. Add curry leaves and cover the pan.
g. Now add hing which gives a nice taste, now add chopped green chilies (7), red chilies and fry them well.
h. Then add turmeric powder (1 tablespoon) and mix it well.
i. Finally, add tamarind paste, stir well, add salt as per taste and cover the pan
j. Cook for about 10- 15 minutes in medium flame till the mixture thickens otherwise pulihora will be very moist.
k. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
l. Now add jaggery (small size) stir it well and cover the pan for 2 minutes.
m. Cook the mixture until the oil starts separating from the mixture, which indicates that the mixture is cooked.
n. Now switch off the stove.
Preparation of masala powder:
• Heat a pan; add black pepper, fenugreek seeds and coriander seeds.
• Fry them evenly under low flame for 2 minutes.
• Now add sesame seeds, red chilies (4) and stir them.
• Dry roast them until lite golden color and switch off the stove.
• Transfer the masala spices to a plate.
• Allow them to cool.
• Grind these masala spices into a fine powder and transfer the powder to a bowl.
Preparation of pulihora:
Boil the water, add oil (1 tablespoon) and mix it well.
Add washed and cleaned rice into the boiled water.
Cover the bowl and cook it for few minutes.
When ¾th parts of the rice are cooked then drain out the remaining water.
Spread the rice on a wide plate and set aside.
Now heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves and cover the pan for few minutes.
Now switch off the stove.
Smash the fried curry leaves into powder and add it to rice.
Now add salt, turmeric powder and tamarind mixture to rice.
Finally add masala powder to the cooked rice.
Mix the rice well and transfer to a serving bowl.
Tasty pulihora is ready.
Serve tamarind rice or pulihora with fresh curd.
Note:
You can make this tamarind paste ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator and mix it with cooked rice whenever you want.
Little bit of Jaggery enhances the taste without adding much sweetness to the rice.
Nutrition facts:
Potassium – 130g
Total carbs – 48g
Dietary fiber – 2g
Sugars – 3g
Protein – 5g
Vitamin A – 2%
Vitamin C – 1%
Calcium – 3%
Iron – 19%