Tamarind Rice | Puliyodharai Recipe

Tamarind rice recipe with step by step photos – popular South Indian recipe of a tangy, sour & spiced rice. The recipe dish is also known as puliyodharai in the Tamil language. A Tamil Nadu delicacy, Puliyodharai Recipe is a vegan one and a supremely addictive dish. Try it to know.    

Sharing again one of those recipes, which I should have added long ago. Tamarind rice is often made in South Indian homes. There are many ways and variations of this recipe.

Two method through which we can make tamarind rice are :

1. The rice is first cooked and then mixed with tamarind sauce or pulikachal.
2. The second method is where the raw rice is cooked in the tamarind sauce.

I am sharing here the traditional method. usually the spiced tamarind sauce also known as ‘Pulikachal‘ is made in medium or large quantities and then stored in the fridge. So when you want to make tamarind rice, you just heat a bit of sesame oil. Add the pulikachal. Add the cooked rice. Mix well and your tamarind rice is ready. You can also mix the cooked rice with some turmeric powder and sesame oil and then mix with pulikachal.

The recipe I am sharing today is where I have prepared the pulikachal and the entire pulikachal is used in the rice. I already have pulikachal stored in the fridge, so thought of sharing the entire recipe. You can even make the pulikachal from this recipe and store in the fridge.

Preparing tamarind rice takes a lot of time. So you can prepare the pulikachal and store in the fridge. Whenever you want to prepare just cook rice. Then mix rice with pulikachal.

In most South Indian temples, tamarind rice is also served as prasadam along with sweet Pongal and Curd Rice (Daddojanam).

Usually I fry some vadagams with tamarind rice and serve. and at times serve with some curd. You can even have tamarind rice plain.

Since tamarind has a longer shelf life, tamarind rice also goes well for picnics or long journeys. It also makes for nice tiffin box lunch.

How to make Puliyodharai or Tamarind Rice

A) cooking rice:

1. Rinse 1 heaped cup sona masuri (230 grams) very well in fresh water. Then add the rice to a stovetop pressure cooker. Also add ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon salt or add as required.

2. Add 2.5 cups water. You can add water depending on the quality of rice. Since I have not soaked the rice, I have added 2.5 cups water and also this rice takes a long time to cook, as its hand pounded sona masuri rice.

For a regular variety, you can add 2 cups water.

3. Pressure cook for 10 to 12 minutes or for 3 to 4 whistles or till the rice is cooked well. Do ensure that the rice does not get overcooked.

For the hand pounded sona masuri rice, I pressure cooked rice for 14 minutes. When the pressure settles down on its own, then only remove the lid of the cooker. Gently fluff the rice.

4. Remove the cooked rice in a large plate or tray or a large bowl and allow it cool.

5. When the rice becomes warm, add ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to it.

6. Mix well and keep aside. Mix gently so that the rice grains do not break. If there are lumps, then break the lumps.

B) preparing tamarind pulp

1. Take 50 grams tamarind or ⅓ cup tamarind (not tightly packed) in a bowl.

2. Add 2 cups hot water and soak the tamarind for 30 to 40 minutes.

3. Then squeeze the soaked tamarind and extract the pulp. Keep the bowl aside.

Preparing puliyodharai masala

1. The following spices will be needed to make the masala:

• 3 to 4 dry red chillies
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon chana dal (split and husked bengal gram)
• ¼ teaspoon whole black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
• ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)

2. Heat a pan and reduce the flame to a low. Add all the spices and stirring often roast them on a low flame or sim.

3. Roast till the urad dal and chana dal become light golden or golden. The entire mixture will become aromatic.

4. Once the lentils have browned well, then switch off the flame and add ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing).

5. Mix very well and let the roasted spices cool.

6. Then in a dry grinder or a spice grinder, add all the spices. Break the red chilies and then add.

7. Grind to a fine powder. Keep aside.

Making pulikachal for tamarind rice

1. Heat 3 tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan.

2. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon urad dal.

3. Also add 1 teaspoon chana dal and ¼ cup peanuts. Basically add the mustard seeds, lentils and peanuts together.

Here I am showing in step wise parts. If you want you can roast or fry the peanuts separately also and add in the rice towards the end.

4. Saute on a low flame till the lentils turn golden. The peanuts will also get done by this time.

5. Saute till the peanuts and the lentils turn golden. Do saute on a low flame or sim.

6. Once the peanuts as well as the lentils turn golden, then add 2 to 3 dry red chillies, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 10 to 12 curry leaves. You can even switch off the flame if you want.

7. Also add a pinch of asafoetida (hing). Stir and mix well.

8. Now strain the tamarind pulp and directly add in the tempering mixture. Strain very well. You can even strain tamarind pulp before and keep aside.

9. Stir and mix everything.

10. Add salt as per taste.

11. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of jaggery powder. You can add less or more of jaggery or skip it.

12. Mix well and simmer the mixture on a low to medium flame.

13. Bring this tamarind mixture to a boil and continue to cook.

14. Cook till the mixture has thickened a bit and you see oil floating on top.

15. Then add the ground spice powder.

16. Stir and mix very well.

17. Continue to simmer the pulikachal for some more minutes. Do stir often.

18. Cook till the mixture becomes thick like a thick tamarind sauce or chutney.

19. Once this consistency is achieved, then switch off the flame.

21. keep the pan down.

Making tamarind rice

22. Add the pulikachal to the rice.

23. Gently mix very well.

24. After the mixing is done, you can serve right away or wait for some minutes for the flavors to infuse and then serve.

25. Serve tamarind rice with fried vadagams or papads.

More popular rice recipes

• Ghee rice
• Lemon rice
• Tomato rice
• Coconut rice
• Bisi bele bath

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

This Tamarind Rice post from the archives first published in October 2016 has been updated and republished on January 2023.