COOKING HOUR: Kovil puliyodharai recipe, temple style tamarind rice

kovil-puliyodharai-recipe

Kovil puliyodharai, temple style tamarind rice recipe with full video and stepwise pictures. The spice powder added directly to the rice along with pulikachal makes it special.

Temple prasadams are always special, flavourful and tasty at a different level. One of the prasadams that comes to your mind when you think about prasadam, next to sakkarai pongal ofcourse is, puliyodharai. There are many temples which serves their signature puliyodharai. Do share your favorite temple’s puliyodharai that is best.

Initially, during childhood days, I know only small temples near by, which serves hot prasadams prepared on either everyday basis or on special occasions. In spite of age and not much knowledge, we all loved the koil prasadams. I am sure everyone have nostalgic memories when it comes to kovil prasadams.

kovil puliyodharai, temple puliyodharai

These days prasadams are sold rather distributed. Yet there are many temples where temples serve food/ prasadam, follow the tradition. The real purpose of prasadam is distribution of food to all, I believe. My personal favorites of temple prasadams are sakkarai pongal, ven pongal, puliyodharai, ladoo, sundal and thattai.

Kovil puliyodharai is really flavourful and unique than the one we prepare at home. Though what we make is also flavourful, kovil puliyodharai has special flavours because of the spice powder. We call puli sadham at home which amma makes with homemade pulikachal which has no spice powder/ grinding part at all. Just she will do tadka and boil tamarind extract until it reduces to thick gravy. Spice is from red chilli that is torn, added while tadka/ tempering.

It is burst of flavour with the asafoetida we add mainly.When the cookery shows started to emerge in the initial stages, or she read in some magazine, amma noted tried adding such spice powder. The trick of adding half spice powder to rice, rest to thicken the gravy was known even that time.

Without any proper measurements, I tried several times after I started to cook. Added more of dhaniya, roasted it too much. It over powdered the puliyodharai, killed its real flavour. I stopped adding coriander seeds itself. Now recently I learn the knack of adding it just right without overdose.

What ever puliyodharai you make, main thing I noticed is it tastes best the next day. Atleast give some standing time for best flavour. I got this recipe shared by my BIL, it sounded/ looked really promising and pushed me to try immediately. As a puli sadam lover, wanted badly to try kovil puliyodharai for a long time and finally here it is. Since tomorrow is aadi perukku, this might be helpful too.

Kovil puliyodharai

Kovil puliyodharai, temple style tamarind rice recipe with full video and stepwise pictures. The spice powder added directly to the rice along with pulikachal makes it special.

2 cups rice
1/4 cup tamarind
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp jaggery
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp Sesame oil
Salt as needed

To roast and powder

2 tsp oil
6 red chillies
1 & ½ tbsp chana dal
1 & ½ tbsp tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp urad dal
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 sprig curry leaves

To temper

2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp mustard
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
6 red chillies
1/2 tsp asafoetida (solid)
1/4 cup peanuts
1 sprig curry leaves

Cooking rice:

Cook rice for 4 whistles with 1:2 water ratio. Once done, cool down in a broad vessel with a tbsp of sesame oil. I usually add 1/2 tsp salt as my mom says it also helps in separating the grains.

Spice powder:

Heat a kadai/ pan with 2 tsp oil. Add red chilli, chana dal, urad dal, methi seeds, coriander seeds and roast well in medium flame.
Once dal is half roasted, add sesame seeds and roast until golden. Lastly add curry leaves and give it a roast.
Set aside for cooling down and powder it coarsely.

Make pulikachal:

First soak tamarind in water for 30 mins. Extract juice to make it total 4 cups of tamarind extract.
In the same kadai, add sesame oil and temper with mustard, chana dal, urad dal, red chillies torn into small pieces, asafoetida.
Once mustard pops and dals are golden, add curry leaves. Add turmeric, red chilli and immediately transfer to tamarind extract.
Boil with enough salt until it is thick (for 10-15 mins). Lastly add jaggery.
Add 2-3 tbsp of the prepared spice powder. As it thickens further, switch it off.

Mixing:

Take the cooked rice, fluff it to separate the grains.
Sprinkle the remaining spice powder and add pulikachal. You may not require all, so add as needed.
Tear some fresh curry leaves and add to it. Add salt if needed.
Add sesame oil if needed to balance the spice level.

The puliyodharai will feel and look sticky, it is normal.
I used kashmiri red chilli, best for the deep colour. Byadgi chillies works too.
Though we use chilli for tempering, while roast/ powder, red chilli powder is also added along with black pepper. all these contribute in different flavour at different stages.
Black pepper, sesame seeds and curry leaves in grinding part are the highlights of the spice mix.
When you taste the puliyodharai after mixing, all the spice, salt and tangy notes should be on higher side as later rice tends to absorb a little.
I used roasted peanuts, so added lastly while tempering. If using raw peanuts, add along dals.

Kovil puliyodharai method:

First soak tamarind in water for 30 mins. Extract juice to make it total 4 cups of tamarind extract.
Cook rice for 4 whistles with 1:2 water ratio. Once done, cool down in a broad vessel with a tbsp of sesame oil. I usually add 1/2 tsp salt as my mom says it also helps in separating the grains.
Heat a kadai/ pan with 2 tsp oil. Add red chilli, chana dal, urad dal, methi seeds, coriander seeds and roast well in medium flame.
Once dal is half roasted, add sesame seeds. Roast until golden. Lastly add curry leaves and give it a roast.
Set aside for cooling down and powder it coarsely.
In the same kadai, add sesame oil and temper with mustard, chana dal, urad dal, red chillies torn into small pieces, asafoetida.
Once mustard pops and dals are golden, add curry leaves. Add turmeric, red chilli and immediately transfer to tamarind extract.
Boil with enough salt until it is thick (for 10-15 mins).
Lastly add jaggery. Add 2-3 tbsp of the prepared spice powder.
As it thickens further, switch it off. Take the cooked rice, fluff it to separate the grains.
Sprinkle the remaining spice powder and add pulikachal. You may not require all, so add as needed. Tear some fresh curry leaves and add to it. Add salt if needed. Add sesame oil if needed to balance the spice level.