Tamarind rice (Chintapandu Pulihora)

Ingredients:

1) Rice = 2 Cups.
2) Tamarind (Chinta Pandu) = Large lemon size (Soak in hot cup of water).
3) Mustard Seeds (Avalu) = 1/2Tbl Spoon.
4) Urad dal (Minapappu) = 1Tbl spoon.
5) Bengal gram (Pachi senagapappu) = 2Tbl spoon
6) Cumin seeds (Jeelakara) = 1/2Tbl spoon.
7) Ground nuts (Verusanagapappu) = 2Tbl spoon.
8) Cashew nuts (Jeedi pappu) = 2Tbl spoon.
9) Water = 4 cups.
10) Red Chillies (Yandu mirapakayalu) = 1 or 2 pieces.
11) Green Chillies (Pachi mirapakayalu) = 5 or 6 Pieces (Cut in length wise).
12) Curry leaves (Karivepaku) = 2 Springs.
13) Turmeric powder (Pasupu) = 1/4 Spoon.
14) Seasame seeds (Nuvvulu powder) Optional = 1Tbl Spoon.
15) Jaggery (Bellam) = 1Tbl Spoon.
16) Asafoetida (Inguva) = 1/4 Spoon
17) Oil = 4Tbl Spoon.

Method:

1) Mix raw rice with bengal gram and cook them, add water as required. (Add 1/4 tbl spoon of oil while cooking the rice before you put the rice in cooker, in order to avoid stickiness )
2) Soak tamarind in hot water and extract juice from the pulp twice (If  there are any seeds remove them)
3) Boil tamarind juice along with green chillies, add salt and jaggery cook till the tamarind juice turns to paste (as shown in the fig)

4) Take small pan add 2 Tbl spoons of oil fry groundnuts, cashew nuts and mix them in cooked rice.
5) In the same pan add 2 Tbl spoon of oil add mustard seeds when it starts popping up add bengal gram, urad dal, cumin seeds, red chillies, turmeric powder, Inguva and mix them with rice (as shown in the fig)

And keep them aside, let that cool down for sometime, then add tamarind paste.
6) Mix tamarind paste with rice without mashing the rice. Finally, if you want, add seasame seeds powder
(Fry without oil) and then grind it (Optional ) (As shown in the fig )

TIPS:

1) Add turmeric powder while you season garnishing items for good color.
2) Add 1/4 tbl spoon of oil while cooking the rice before you put the rice in cooker, in order to avoid stickiness
3) We can store Tamrind paste in refrigerator for about a week to 10 days, whenever you like to taste Pulihora, mix this ready made tamrind paste with rice and serve. Your instant food is ready.. :)



This is a traditional receipe and favorite food for many people and it would be yummy too.... :) Ready made Puliyogare mix taste would be completely different from this one, if you taste it you'll love it. In Andhra Pulihora is commonly served as prasadam at temples, this is one of  the regular items which I prepare for every festival in my house.