Name: Chinthapandu Pulihora / Tamarind Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3 cups of rice grains Plain Rice (cooked with); 4 teaspoons Salt ((as per taste)); ½ cup Cooking Oil; 1 big lemon size Dry Tamarind; ½ teaspoon Hing/Inguva/Asafoetida; 5 count Dry Red Chillies; 5 count Green Chillies; 10 count Curry Leaves; 10 count Ground Nuts / Peanuts; 10 count Cashew Nuts; 1½ teaspoon Urad dal / Minapappu / Split Black gram; 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds / Aavalu; 1½ teaspoon Chana dal / Split Yellow gram dal; ½ teaspoon Jeera / Cumin Seeds; 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds; ¾ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

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Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena

PrepTime:10 mins CookTime:15 mins Cuisine:Indian

What is Pulihora:

‘Pulihora’ / Yellow Rice is considered as the food form of Goddesses divine blessings in South Indian temples. Hence, devotees queue to get Pulihora after darshanam in any South Indian temple. And in any South Indian household, Pulihora is definitely prepared during Hindu festivals and functions as an offering to the Goddess.

There are many varieties of ‘Pulihora’, while this is the predominant of all. This particular recipe is that of Andhra Pradesh, a Southern state of India.

Other Yellow Rice / Pulihora recipes on my blog:

I adapted this recipe from my MIL, whereas my MOM makes it in a different way. Mom’s recipe, doesn’t put the tamarind puree on stove top to thicken. But, instead she just adds the thick tamarind puree onto the hot plain rice. Does the tempering, and when the rice cools a bit, she would mix everything thoroughly using her bare hands.

Below is my MIL’s recipe, you might follow any of the methods. 🙂

Health Benefits:

Tamarind is high in anti inflammatory & anti oxidant properties, that protects against cancer.The tamarind puree helps in reducing body weight.

Turmeric has naturally anti inflammatory properties.Limited intake of turmeric, when taken everyday in food, boosts the immunity and hence lowers the risk of cold, cough, flu, other infections.

To conclude, this is a completely, Plant based, Vegan+Gluten free, IMMUNITY BOOSTING, one-pot family friendly meal.

It is a NO onion, NO garlic recipe too. But it does has more usage of oil.

It can be made with freshly cooked rice or with left over rice too.

Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.

My other Rice recipes here⇒ Main Course

My Festive recipes collection here⇒ Traditional Indian Recipes for Festivals / Panduga Nayivedyalu

Festive Meal Platters⇒ Vindhu Bhojanam / Festive Lunch

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Ingredients:

Rice (cooked) – With 3 cups of rice grains
Salt – 4 teaspoons (or) as per taste
Cooking Oil – ½ cup
Dry Tamarind – 1 large lemon size
Hing/Inguva/Asafoetida – ½ teaspoon
Dry Red Chillies – 5
Green Chillies – 5
Curry Leaves – 10
Ground Nuts – 10
Cashew Nuts – 10

Ingredients for Tempering:

Urad dal / Minapappu / Split Black gram – 1½ teaspoon
Mustard seeds / Aavalu – 1 teaspoon
Chana dal / Split Yellow gram dal – 1½ teaspoon
Jeera / Cumin Seeds – ½ teaspoon
Sesame Seeds – 1 teaspon
Turmeric Powder – ¾ teaspoon

Special Ingredients:

Tamarind
Hing/ Inguva/ Asafoetida
Cashew Nuts & Ground Nuts

Step wise pics Procedure for Chinthapandu Pulihora / Tamarind Rice:

Firstly, get the rice cooked and keep it ready in a wide mixing vessel/dish.
Cut the green chillies length wise.

**If you are using dry tamarind** , **soak it in hot water for 10 mins, so that it would soften.**

***Put a frying pan on stove top under medium flame.* *Add half of the oil, let it heat and then add all the items under ‘Ingredients for Tempering’ .***

**Saute the tempering items and then add the salt, cashew nuts, slit green chillies,dry red chillies, curry leaves and hing / inguva / Asafoetida.**

**Let them stay on stove until the red chillies darken in colour, then transfer all the contents onto the rice.**

**Put the pan back on the stove, take the bowl of hot water and tamarind, tightly squeeze a couple of times.And add the puree along with water into the frying pan.** ***Exclude the pulp.***

**Let the water content evaporate and the tamarind puree to thicken. At that stage switch off the stove and transfer the tamarind puree onto the rice in the vessel/dish.**

**Return the frying pan back to the stove and add the rest of the oil. Heat the oil and pour it onto the cooked rice.**

**Mix everything thoroughly more than twice (using bare hands works best) so that the tamarind pulp and tempering are all blended well with the rice. Done!!**

Tips:

You can use any type of non-flavoured rice for this recipe,i.e.flavoured rice like Basmati is not much suitable. I used Sona Masoori rice.
Take care that the cooked rice is NOT sticky.
The heart of this recipe lies in the tempering. So be careful, not to burn it.
If you are using ready made tamarind puree, add the same quantity as mentioned and heat up the puree too.
Adjust the salt and sour according to your taste.
Using bare hands instead of a ladle, creates the perfect blend / flavour of all the spices & rice.
Actual saying about this dish is that, it tastes even better the next day than the same day.
Chinthapandu pulihora / Tamarind rice, can be made with freshly cooked rice or with left over rice too.
It stays good even for 3 days at room temperature.

Result:

The taste of this dish is amazingly delicious. Even my three kids just love it.
Chinthapandu pulihora / Tamarind rice, can be served with chilled curd/yogurt and with any chutney/dip on the side. Or can be eaten as it is.