Chinthapandu Pulihora/Tamarind Rice:

Today I am going to intorduce you a very common and delicious dish .

Chintapandu Pulihora----

Pulihora does not need any introduction for most of the  South Indians,  especially people from Andhra. It is called by different names  in different regions.

The combination of all the ingredients makes Pulihora a sumptuous deal for the stomach.
Andhra, Pulihora finds its place as a main delicacy during all festive occasions. Especially in my home, Pulihora,  Garelu are staple festive foods. Pulihora is also offered as the ‘divine’ prasadam in many Hindu temples.

 What you need :

1. Rice – 1 cup
2. Tamarind – 1 lemon size roll
3. Roasted groundnuts – fistful (thats how i measure , might say half cup depending on your taste)
4. Green chillies – 6-7 diagonally cut
5. Turmeric – 1tsp
6. Salt – to taste
7. Asafatodia – 1/2tsp

For Popu

1. Avalu – mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
2. Bengal gram – 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dal – black gram – 1/2 tsp
4. Jeera – 1/2 tsp
5. red chillies – 1 or 2 depending on your taste
6. Asafatodia – a pinch
7. curry leaves – a line
8. green-chilies-3
9. ground nuts - handful.

How to Do??

• First of all, take the tamarind and soak it in water for some time till all the juice comes out. For the easy cook types  ( put the tamarind in water and heat in microwave for 2 mins--i read this in newspaper). 
• Cook the soaked tamarind along with the water with 2 drops of oil, turmeric, asafotodia, green chillies, curry leaves and pinch of salt till it thickens to a paste (as in the picture) ,if you want add ground-nuts also.
• Meanwhile, cook the rice (preferably sona masuri , I dont suggest basmati for this) seperately and spread it on a flat plate to cool for about 5 mins.

• After cooling rice for 5 mins , add a little oil, turmeric and salt and mix well.

• Add the above made tamarind paste to yellow rice and mix well without mashing the rice grains.

• Now, for tadka, heat oil in a pan, and add the mustard seeds, grams, jeera , red chillies and roasted ground nuts, asafotodia till mustard seeds pop.

• Add this to the tamarind mixed rice and mix well 

• Thats all….Wow pulihora ready

U can also make the paste in good amount and seal it in a air tight container . It stays for a while, just add to rice and put tadka its 5 min job on a tired evening .. 

Tip:

• Cook rice with little bit of channa dal (around 2 tbsp) it gives very good flavor to the whole dish.
• Green chilies boiled together with the tamarind pulp gives a very nice flavor. One can enjoy biting into these tamarind boiled chilies and enjoy their hot and sour taste.
• This dish taste excellent after 4 to 6 hrs as the sourness of tamarind needs a bit of time to creep into the rice granules and delights the person to crave some more.