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June 25, 2011

Pulihora & Daddojanam (Tamarind Rice & Curd Rice)

After posting two American sandwiches as picnic food, today I have two South Indian dishes that are great make-ahead meals and perfect picnic food. I remember my mom making these for our school picnics and we would be happy campers eating them on site.

Tamarind rice is perfect for picnics since the flavor gets time to meld and the more time the rice has a chance to absorb all the tangy & spicy flavors the better it tastes. Curd rice, if made with half yogurt & half milk, tastes sweet and not sour at all. All in all both these dishes are really close to heart and bring a ton of memories associated with picnics.

Pulihora3

Tamarind Rice

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups (I use sona masoori rice)
Tamarind - ¼cup
Peanuts - 3tbsp
Chana dal - 2tbsp
Urad dal - 2tbsp
Mustard seeds - 2tsp
Dry red chilies - 4, broken
Hing - 1/8tsp
Curry leaves - 8-10
Turmeric - 1/8tsp
Green chilies - 4
Ginger - 2tbsp (optional)
Salt - to taste

Method:
  • Cook rice so that each grain is separate. Remove in a large, wide bowl to cool. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt, mix gently and set aside.
  • Add 1 cup of hot water to tamarind and set aside until tamarind is soft. Squeeze and remove the stringy matter and keep the pulp to the side.
  • Add 2tbsp oil in a medium pan, add peanuts and fry them on medium flame, stirring constantly until reddish and nicely fried on all sides. Keep aside.
  • Add 1tbsp more oil to the same pan, add the dals and fry until they turn golden, next add mustard seeds and once the seeds start to splutter, add dry red chilies and hing.
  • Once the red chilies turn slightly darker, add green chilies, curry leaves and ginger (if using). As soon as the mixture starts to smell fragrant, return the fried peanuts to the pan. Next slowly pour in the tamarind pulp.
  • Lower the heat and simmer the mixture until thickened, takes about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add the cooked tamarind mixture to the rice, season with salt; mix well, be gentle. Take care not to break the grains.
Pulihora.1

Cover and let the rice sit for at least 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Notes: If you think the rice is not sour/ tangy enough, add some lemon juice. No one would even know that the sourness is coming from lemon.

Curd Rice

Curd Rice1

Ingredients:
Rice - 1cup
Yogurt - ¾cup
Milk - ½cup (or more if necessary)
Green chilies - 2, slit
Ginger - 1" piece, finely grated
Carrot -3tbsp, grated
Salt - to taste

For tempering:
Chana dal - 1tsp
Urad dal - 1tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Hing - a pinch
Dry red chili -1, broken
Curry leaves - 6-8
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt - to taste

Method:
  • Mash rice a little bit, add turmeric, salt, yogurt and milk. Set aside.
  • Heat 1tsp oil in a small sauce pan, add chana and urad dals and once they turn golden, add mustard seeds. Add dry red chili and hing once the seeds start to splutter. Next add ginger, green chilies and curry leaves. Fry until it starts to smell fragrant.
  • Add the tempering to the rice mixture. Mix well. Check the seasonings and garnish with grated carrot.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes: If the rice soaks up all the yogurt and milk and seems dry, add some milk to make it more soupy.
Curd Rice

Now lets see what my fellow marathoners have been cooking up for Day 3 of BM#6.

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19 comments:

  1. truly a gr8 combo for picnics. My mom curdles milk and mixes it with rice and takes the tadka separately to avoid the sour taste of curd rice in the typical Indian summers :)

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  2. wow these r my fav combo during festivals!!!!

    Happy Blogging!!!!
    Food Blog News Daily
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  3. wow..i love both these varieties of rice...and these look so good too.

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  4. Truly South Indian classic picnic food. As you mentioned, one gets nostalgic by the mere mention of this combo.

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  5. Wow. Delicious combo for picnic. I can have this for breakfast, lunch and dinner for ages
    South Indian Recipes

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  6. Classic and delicious recipes.. looks perfect !!
    Indian Cuisine

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  7. yea these two are so popular as travel food. Perfect and lovely clicks.

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  8. Lovely combo. I pack tamarind rice for our outings too. I make a big batch of mix normally. Perfect.


    Vardhini
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  9. Both are good in their own terms.I used to take tamarind rice,whenever I am in a train Journey..looks tempting Pavani.

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  10. happy 2 be here..lovely clicks and recipes!

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  11. Truly a great south indian picnic food and also great food for train journeys, besided aloo poori

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  12. yummy dishes my mum make this more often

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  13. Puliyodarai and curd rice reminds me of train journeys...Great presentation.

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  14. I often make these whenever we go on picnics. So much so that these days if i make tamarind rice when we are at home, my daughter thinks that we are going out somewhere :-)

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  15. That makes a delicious picnic lunch :)

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  16. I love love tamarind rice n yogurt rice is such a comfort food ~ beautiful pictures!
    US Masala

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  17. Love pulihora anytime, with your picture perfect they make it even more inviting! I remember the many occasions we have traveled with a box of these two delicacies..

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  18. Lovely presentation !! My husband favorite picnic and travel food. He is from south India.

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