Puliyogarae/Tamerind Rice/Puliyorae

Puliyogarae
Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Ponni raw rice (or any extra long grain rice)
• 2 tsp of tamarind paste
• 2" sq blob of jaggery broken into tiny pieces (or 1/4 cup of brown sugar)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of malagapudi(rasam powder)
• 4 tsp of puliyogarae powder(see puliyogarae pudi post)

Garnish

• 1/4 cup of peanuts
• 1/4 cup of cashews and almons(optional)
• 5 or 6 curry leaves(optional)
• pinch of hingh(optional)
• pinch of turmeric(optional)
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 1 tsp of mustard seeds
• 2 0r 3 red chilies (split chili's into halves)

Puliyogarae

Method: In a small dish heat 1/2 cup of water and melt the jaggery. Add the tamarind paste, bring it to a boil and set aside aside. Cook rice (See Rice post to make rice) and set it aside in a large bowl to cool. Add the tamarind mixture, salt and mix well. Heat oil in a pan on medium high and splatter the mustard seeds. Add the peanuts, cashews, almonds, hingh, turmeric and curry leaves. Using a long spoon fry till the nuts are browned. Pour the contents of the pan on the cooked rice. Add the puliyogarae pudi and the molagapudi to the rice and mix well.
Cooking tips: Vary salt, malagapudi and jaggery per your taste. Can also add desiccated grated coconut for a variation in taste.
Serving tips: Serve at room temperature. Serve with thick plain yogurt on the side or with yougurt rice.