Temple’s Kitchen: Kovil Puliyodharai/How to Make Temple Style Puliyodharai

Rice
Prasadam are offering to God prepared with rice as the main ingredient and
these from a majority of all the sacred food offerings.

This
Temple style tamarind rice/Kovil Puliyodharai has a unique taste and flavor
unlike the regular Puliyodharai. Temple style Puliyodharai, fresh Puliyodharai
spice mix is used. This spice mix is stored in an air-tight container and stays
fresh for months’ time.

Ingredients:

 Raw Rice                   2 Cups

Sesame
Oil                2 Tablespoon

Turmeric
Powder       ½ Teaspoon

Salt                           To Taste

Cashew
nuts               1 Tablespoon

For
Powder:

Black
Pepper                2 Tablespoon

Cumin
Seeds                 1 Tablespoon

Fenugreek
Seeds          1 Tablespoon

Black
Sesame Seed       2 Tablespoon

For
Pulikachal

Sesame
Oil                    3 Tablespoon

Tamarind                       1 Big Lemon Size

Mustard
Seeds              1 Teaspoon

Chenna
Dal                     2 Tablespoon

Urdh
Dal                          1 ½ Tablespoon

Raw
Peanuts                     ½ Cup

Katti Perungayam (Hing)    a small cube

Curry
Leaves                     Few

Jaggery
Powder                 1 Tablespoon

Preparation:

• Raw
  white rice washed and cooked with turmeric powder, to a dry consistency, so
  that the grains remain separate. The Prepared rice is drained and kept separately.
• Black
  Pepper, cumin seeds, Black Sesame seeds and Fenugreek seeds are separately fried
  brown and coarsely powdered.
• Puliyodharai
  
• Soak
  the tamarind in hot water and thick juice is squeezed out.
• Heat
  sesame oil in heavy bottom vessel , add in the mustard seeds, split white
  lentils, split Bengal gram, Peanuts, curry leaves and wait until they crackle.
• Pour
  in the tamarind extract, followed by turmeric powder, salt and asafetida.
• Bring
  it to boil, cook in medium flame until the oil starts floating on the top.
• Add
  in the powdered jaggery, mix it well or until it dissolves.
• Transfer
  the cooked rice in a big vessel/plate, add sesame oil, followed by tamarind
  paste/Puli katchal , Salt with a pinch of Turmeric Powder.
• Sprinkle
  Powdered mixture, mix it well.
• Cashew
  nuts deep fried in ghee and asafetida are added in mixed well with the final Puliyodharai
  preparation.

 Note:

• I
  use only basmati rice and drain out the starch water so that the rice does not
  stick.  Normally in temples Madappalli,
  they use only Raw white Rice.
• One
  important thing after you make the Puliyodharai remember not to serve it
  immediately as the rice needs some time to absorb the flavors, 1 hour after
  preparation should be ideal to serve.