Nammathu Samayal: Pulikachal

Pulikachal and Puliyodharai are soul foods. My Mum in law makes a big batch and store it in fridge. It eat it with anyting and everything. Idli, dosa, chapathi, Bread, Curdrice .. wow.. end less.

Its pakka travel food too. Packing puliyodhari / Puliyogare is easy and Holds up good for long hours.

Here is our version.

Makes a cup (250 ml cup)

Ingredients:

· Tamarind – 1 big lemon sized (Old tamarind preferred, it gives color)

· Water – 3 cups

· Gingely oil – 1.5 tbsp

· Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

· Chenna Dal – 1 tsp

· Roasted Peanuts – 2 tbsp (Skin pealed and halved)

· Red chili - 2

· Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp

· Asofitida / Hind – ½ tsp

· Salt to tast

· Curry Leaves - few

Dry roast and Grind 1:

· Chenna dal – 1 tbsp

· Jeera – 1 tsp

· Black Pepper – 1 tsp

· Fenugreek Seeds – ½ tsp

Dry roast and Grind 2:

· Black sesame seeds – 1 tsp

Dry roast and Grind 3:

· Curry Leaves – 1 fistful

Roast in oil and Grind:

· Red chillies – 6 (Depends on the spiciness of the chili)

Preparation :

Soak Tamarind in 3 cups of warm water for 10 mins.

Extract the juice from it, discard the pulp and keep the extract aside.

Take a thick bottom kadai, dry roast the items mentioned above in 3 different batches. They are roasted in different batches for better result and each of them have different roasting points.

Dry roast 1

Dry Roast 2 : Sesame seeds.I already had roased sesame powder, so I dint show it here in the step, you don’t forget the step.

Dry Roast 3 : Dry roast curry leaves separately.

Combine all the roasted ingredients and make them in smooth powder.

In the same Kadai, add lil of gingely oil, fry the chilies well. Take the chilies out and cool them. Try to crush them in hand, else coarsely powder them in mixer.

Back to the kadai, add gingely oil, once heated, add mustard seeds..let it crackle. Add 2 red chilies, chenna dal and Roasted peanuts.

Once they turn slightly brown , pour the tamarind extract.Add turmeric powder and Salt and let the mixture boils well. For about 10 mins in medium flame. The mixture now becomes slightly thicker.

Once the raw smell of the tamarind leaves well, add the roasted and ground powder we prepared, chilies that we roasted and ground, asofitida powder. Mix well and cook for a minute and swtich off the stove.