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Pulihora
Tamarind rice
పులిహోర: Andhra tamarind rice with peanuts, chana dal, green chilli and curry leaves
Pulihora is the rice Andhra families cook for Ugadi, Sankranti and every temple festival in between, and it's also the dish wrapped in banana leaves for long train trips because it keeps all day. The Telugu version is sharper and hotter than Tamil puliyodarai or Karnataka puliyogare: cooked rice is tossed with a thick tamarind paste, turmeric, mustard and a hefty tempering of peanuts, chana dal, green and red chillies and curry leaves, with no sweet spice powder. It's sour, hot, nutty and fragrant with sesame oil. Eat it at room temperature with curd or a crisp papad. Chef's tip: cook the tamarind paste until oil separates at the edges; under-cooked tamarind gives the rice a raw, puckery sourness.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice
- 9 oz sona masuri or other medium-grain ricerinsed
- 2 ¼ cups water
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the tempering
- 4 tbsp sesame (gingelly) oil
- 1 ⅜ oz raw peanuts
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 4 dried red chilliesbroken
- 4 green chilliesslit
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerfinely chopped
- ½ tsp gluten-free asafoetida
- 25 curry leaves
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cook 9 oz sona masuri or other medium-grain rice with 2 ¼ cups water in a covered pan over a low heat for 15 minutes until just tender with separate grains. Spread it on a large plate, sprinkle with ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp of the 4 tbsp sesame (gingelly) oil and fluff gently with a fork. Let it cool completely.
15 minStep 2: Soak 1 ⅜ oz tamarind in ¾ cup hot water for 10 minutes, squeeze well and strain to get a thick juice, about 150 ml.
10 minStep 3: Heat the rest of the 4 tbsp sesame (gingelly) oil in a deep pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 ⅜ oz raw peanuts for 2–3 minutes until they crackle and turn golden under the skins, then add 1 tsp mustard seeds.
3 minStep 4: When the mustard crackles, add 1 tbsp chana dal and 1 tsp urad dal and fry until golden, about 40 seconds. Add 4 dried red chillies, 4 green chillies, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, ½ tsp gluten-free asafoetida and 25 curry leaves and fry until the leaves are crisp and the chillies blister.
1 minStep 5: Pour in the tamarind juice, add 1 tsp jaggery if using, and simmer over a medium-low heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it thickens to a glossy paste and oil shows at the edges.
8 minStep 6: Tip the paste over the cooled rice and mix gently with your fingers or a flat spoon, so every grain is coated. Common mistake: mixing into hot rice or stirring hard; the grains break and turn mushy. Cool rice and a light hand keep it fluffy.
Step 7: Leave the pulihora to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving; the rice soaks up the tamarind and tastes better. It keeps well for a day at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pulihora take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sona masuri or other medium-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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