Puliogare / Puliyodarai Recipe

What's the one best thing about marrying an iyengar (a sect of Tamil Brahmins)? It is of course undeniable the Puliogare for a foodie like me! :D Well i ve learnt to make the best puliyogare i ve ever eaten, barring all the temples i've been to, just to rush to the prasadam counter as a kid (and even now!) and have the yummy Puliodharai! I just cant believe that i can make it as good myself now and this is one recipe that m really proud of to present! Tomorrow being Kannu (a bro-sis festival thingie during Pongal) most people make it at home.. so lets take a look at the best iyengar style puliogare recipe rite away....

Puliogare Recipe

Ingredients

For Pulikachal:
Cooked Rice - 2 large cups
Tamarind - 2 lemon sized balls
Sesame (Gingely) Oil - 5 to 6 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - Handful
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Urud Dal - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Ground Nuts - 1/4 cup
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Red Chillies - 5 to 6
Water - 4 cups
Salt to taste

To make the powder:
Coriander Seeds (Dhania) - 3 tbsp
Channa Dal - 2 tsp
Red Chillies - 1 or 2
Fenugreek Seeds (Methi) - 3 to 4 (optional)
Sesame Seeds (Til/Ellu) - 1 tbsp



















Method
In a kadai, heat the sesame oil and splutter the mustard seeds, red chillies (broken into halves), asafoetida, curry leaves, channa dal and urud dal, ground nuts and fry until golden brown.
Make sure the ground nuts are in perfect color when you stop, makes all the difference.
Keep pressing the chillies in the oil, so they mix well. (This is important for the right taste)
Make a paste out of the tamarind and pour it into the kadai with some water, salt and turmeric powder. Add more oil if needed.
Let the mixture cook well until the water becomes more than half of what you added and becomes a paste-like product (and the oil separates). This is called Puli Kachal.
Roast the powder ingredients except the sesame seeds and grind to make a powder.
Add the rice and powder into the pulikachal and mix thoroughly.
Make a separate powder out of the sesame seeds and sprinkle over the puliogare and mix well, just before serving!