Tamarind rice is a South Indian recipe highly valued for its tautly tangy flavour. Known by other names as "Puliyodarai" or "Pulihora," this is a quite straightforwardly simple food to prepare, suitable for both fast foods and special occasions. Any tamarind rice recipe involves the sourness of tamarind, eased with aromatic spices. Prepare 1 cup of rice and let it cool completely. Cooling the rice ensures that the texture is not compromised and it will not become mushy. Meanwhile, soak the 2 tablespoons of tamarind in warm water for about 15 minutes. Then extract the tamarind juice and set it aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan, then temper with 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon of urad dal, and a few dried red chillies. Sprinkle a pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves, and ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder add the tamarind juice, and let it cook till it thickens. The raw smell will disipate. When the tamarind paste is ready, gently stir it into the cooked rice. You may sprinkle roasted peanuts on top of it to give it some crunch and texture. This recipe of tamarind rice brings out the tartness of tamarind, which is well complemented by spices and a nutty flavour from peanuts. This is an especially nice meal to take on a picnic or put into a lunchbox for school or work, even on special occasions.

• 50 gms tamarind
• 250 gms rice
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chana dal
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• Coriander leaves
• 1 tsp rasam masala
• 1 tsp jaggery
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp hing
• 2 tbsp peanuts
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• Rice is a staple product in South India, where tamarind rice is a wonderful amalgamation of strong tamarind flavour mixed in with soft, fluffy rice.
• It makes for one of the best dishes around.
• To prepare this super delicious dish, one needs to start by soaking 50 gms of tamarind in warm water, totalling 250 ml, for about 20 minutes.
• Soak the tamarind for a while and then squeeze out all the pulp.
• Strain out seeds and fibre. Set aside the tamarind extract; it will be your flavouring agent for this dish.
• While the tamarind is soaking, one can take care of the rice.
• Cook 250 gms of rice in a pressure cooker or a rice cooker until soft and fluffy.
• Then spread it on a plate to let it cool down.
• It is essential to cool the rice because, otherwise, it will become mushy, and every grain will lose its identity and flavour while getting mixed with the tamarind sauce later.
• Now, in a pan heat 2 Tbsp of oil to medium.
• When it gets hot, add 1 Tsp of mustard seeds and let the mustard seeds splutter.
• In South Indian recipes, the spluttering of mustard seeds is the traditional technique that gives the overall crunchy and even flavourful taste to the recipe.
• Now, add 1 teaspoon of chana dal, 1 teaspoon of urad dal, and two tablespoons of peanuts.
• Fry until it turns brown, and you get a nutty fragrance.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida or hing, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder, and 10-12 curry leaves to this mixture.
• Asafoetida will give the curry a unique flavour, which completes the dish.
• Additionally, it gives a nice warmth and earthiness to the colour.
• Curry leaves are a classic South Indian flavour combined with good stirring, bringing all the flavours together.
• Once the spices are well incorporated, add tamarind extract to the pan.
• Add a teaspoon of jaggery balancing off the acidity of the tamarind with a hint of sweetness.
• The mix then has to be cooked on medium heat till it becomes a thick luscious sauce coating the rice perfectly.
• Apart from richening the flavour profile of the dish, jaggery is added to bring sweetness to it.
• Once the mixture has thickened, add 1 teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of rasam powder to the tamarind mixture.
• Rasam powder is a spice blend that most often appears in South Indian dishes.
• It adds more depth and warmth to the dish.
• Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes, and let all these flavours get along very harmoniously.
• Finally, toss the tamarind sauce gently into cooled rice, where the rice is fully coated with this tart sauce.
• Do not crush the grains of rice; one needs to ensure that each grain is coated with the delicious tamarind mixture.
• After it is well mixed, add a few chopped coriander leaves to tamarind rice and serve immediately.
• This colourful meal goes well with papadums or yoghurt, making it good to accompany any meal.
• Taste the flavours of tamarind rice, an actual sample of South Indian culinary tradition!