30 . Pulihora (Puliagore) – Must for all the festivals

Pulihora does not need any introduction for most of the South Indians, especially people from Andhra Pradesh.This is one of the special dish in south India. Easy to make and very tasty. Also people call it as Tamarind rice. Though it is the closest term which can be used, It is an injustice to other ingredients, and to the taste.
This is one of the varieties which most commonly prepared for all the festivals. The Brahmin community love it. In all the festivals there will be one sweet ( mostly Boorelu, or Bobbatlu ) and at least one hot variety are prepared. This dish is widely used as prasadam in may temples. Well this taste always differs when it is distributed in a temple. I always wonder, the same dish made at my home comes back with a different taste as prasadam. Some divine effect in it.
A similar dish is made in Karnataka which is called as Chitranna.
Required ingredients
White Rice preferably Sona masuri – 200 gm
Tamarind – 100gm
Chillies – 2
oil – 3-5 tablespoon
Green chillies – 5-6
Curry leaf stalks – 3
Salt to Taste
2 pinches Asoeftida ( some people dont like it- but i love it)
Fenugreek powder- 1 pinch
Mustard – 1 tbsp
Cumin(jeera) – 1 tbsp
Groundnuts  – 50 g
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Chana Dal(Chickpea) – 2 Tbsp
 
Preparation Method
Cook the rice (make sure the rice doesn’t get sticky) and once it is cooked spread it out in a wide bowl/dish to cool slightly may be for 5 minutes.Mix the rice evenly with one tbsp of oil, salt to taste and turmeric. Take care not to mash the rice grains.
While the rice is cooking , Soak the Tamarind for about Half and Hour and extract the juice free of all pulp and seeds. Shift the tamarind Juice to a vessel, add 2 red chillies, few drops of oil, a stalk of curry leaves, a pinch of asafetida, a pinch of turmeric, a pinch of fenugreek powder (optional) & little salt and put it to boil until the tamarind becomes a thick consistent paste. (You can make the paste in a better quantity and can be stored for about a month and use it when required, but it tastes better if it is made fresh.)
Mix the Rice and Tamarind paste and keep it aside. ( Here too make sure you dont mash the rice)
Take a pan and fry the groundnuts in oil and add to the rice after draining the oil.
Now with in the same oil, prepare Popu (Tadka) by frying mustard, chana Dal, Jeera(cumin), red chillies, and asafetida, curry leaves, and green chillies.
Add this mixture along with the leftover oil to the rice and mix it thoroughly.
Delicious Pulihora is ready.
Serve this dish with Tomato Chutney or Curd(Yoghurt) to increase the taste.
If you want added taste, eat this dish on the next day.