Puliodharai /Tamarind Rice with khatti Meethi chutney

Puliodharai / Tamarind Rice With Khatti Meethi Chutney

Puliodharai is a famous South Indian dish! The tangy flavor of tamarind and the aroma of kadi patta is just superb.I am not a South Indian but when i was a kid i used to go to my mom's office sometimes and there was a south Indian aunty and she was my favorite :-D because whenever i used to come with my mom in her office she used to make this special tamarind rice for me ;-) and i love to go to my mom's office whenever i get a chance :-P 
Those days became a sweetest memory for me as she got retired and i got married!But still those tamarind rice was still on my mind and finally i nailed it with the same beautiful flavors and now its my daughter's favorite :-) 

I have served this rice with a flavorful chutney which is little sweet and sour and it is just balancing the taste of sourness of rice with a little sweetness and spiciness of the chutney!
This chutney goes very well with the paranthas,dosas or Idlies .
If you have made this chutney with tamarind rice and still you have the leftover chutney,need not to worry as you can store this in refrigerator for at least 4 to 5 days and you can have this with your normal daily food as it will be added as a condiment in your daily meals!

  So here goes the tempting recipe dedicated to my special Aunt :-)

Ingredients -
For tamarind rice -

1. Simple boiled rice - 2 cups
2. Oil - 2 tbsp
3. Onions - 1 medium thinly sliced
4. Peanuts - 2 tbsp
5. Kadi Patta (curry leaves)- 5 to 6 leaves (wash them first with water)
6.  Brown Mustard Seeds (rai) - 1 tbsp
7. Tamarind water - 1 cup (soak the tamarind pulp in 1 cup of  water for half an hour strain it and store that tamarind water)
8. Red dry chilies - 5 to 6
9. Chana dal - 1 tbsp 
10. Salt as per taste
11. Red chili powder as per taste
12. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
13. Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
14. Dry mango powder - 1 tsp
15. Sugar - 1/2 tsp

For chutney

1. Tomatoes - 2 cut in square shape
2. Onion - 1 (square shape)
3. Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp
4. Jaggery powder - 1 tbsp
5. Chili powder - 1 tsp
6. Salt as per taste
7. Kadi patta - 4 to 5 leaves
8. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
9. Red dry chilies - 2 to 3
10. Oil 1 and 1/2 tsp

Method -

1. Take a wok add oil in it and let it heat properly.
2. Add brown mustard seeds curry leaves and dry red chilies let it crackle.
3. Add peanuts and chana daal fry them till they turn little crispy.
4. Add sliced onions and fry them also.
5. Now add salt,turmeric powder,red chili powder,sugar and coriander powder and mix it well(do this on a low flame otherwise the peanuts and chana daal can get burnt)
6. Now add the boiled rice in the wok .
7. Pour the tamarind water on the rice and mix it very gently so that the rice should not break .
8. Lastly add some dry mango powder and again mix it well.
9. Your Puliodharai/Tamarind rice is ready to be served.

Khatti Meethi Chutney

1. Take a wok add oil .
2. Add onions in it and stir the onions for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Now add tomatoes and stir it for more 2 minutes.
4. Add jaggery powder.
5. Now add tamarind pulp.
6. Add salt in it.
7. Stir it till the ingredients gets mixed up properly.
8. Keep aside and let it cool.
9. After it cools down grind it in a mixer.
10. Now take that same wok add 1/2 tsp oil.
11. Add cumin seeds,red dry chilies and curry patta .
12. Add the paste in this flavored oil.
13. Mix it well your tangy sweet chutney is also ready to be served with Tamarind Rice.