Pulihora Recipe
This rice dish is made with precooked rice mixed with a tempering of spices, curry leaves and tamarind. It is a festive dish and is prepared as a offering to the deities.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips.
© Swasthi's Recipes - www.indianhealthyrecipes.com
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 1½ cups aged rice
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (or any cooking oil)
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric (adjust to color)
- ½ teaspoon Salt or as needed
- 1 handful tamarind or 4 tbsp. thick tamarind pulp (adjust to suit your taste)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Jaggery optional
To powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder lightly roasted or roasted sesame seeds powder (optional)
To temper
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- 1 tablespoon channa dal
- ¼ cup peanuts
- 2 red chilies broken
- 2 Green chilies slit (if not for naivedyam)
- ½ teaspoon Ginger finely chopped (optional)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 pinch hing /asafoetida
How to make the recipe
Preparation
- Cooking rice - Add rice to a bowl & wash it well a few times. Pour 3 cups water. Place the bowl in a pressure cook and cover with a lid. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles on a medium flame. When the pressure drops remove the bowl and transfer to a wide plate. Do not mash it.
- Preparing rice - The rice has to be grainy and not mushy. Sprinkle salt and turmeric over the rice. Then pour 1 tbsp sesame oil. Let cool down and mix well. If needed add more turmeric to get the color you desire.
- Making mustard powder (optional) - If you wish to use mustard powder, roast the seeds until slightly hot and cool. Powder and set aside. or You can roast sesame seeds until they begin to splutter. Cool and powder. Do not use both, use either of them.
- Soaking Tamarind - Add tamarind to a small bowl and rinse it. Pour hot water just enough to immerse it. When it turns soft, squeeze and make a thick paste. Pass it through a filter, discard stones and pulp.
How to make pulihora
- Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard, peanuts, chana dal & urad dal. Fry till the peanuts turn golden & aromatic. Add curry leaves, green chilies, red chilies and ginger (optional). Fry till the red chilies turn crisp
- Add hing, followed by tamarind pulp, jaggery and little more salt.
- Mix everything well & cook till the mixture turns thick & begins to leave the oil on the side. If you take off the mixture a bit early your pulihora will turn very moist & mushy. Turn off the stove.
- The rice must be cool by now. Sprinkle mustard powder or sesame powder all over the rice. Then transfer ¾ of the cooked pulihora mixture to the rice.
- Gently mix and add more if needed. If offering to God do not taste it. Else you can taste and add more salt as needed. If the pulihora is too dry add more oil & mix.
- Serve pulihora with fresh homemade curd.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Calories: 620kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 495mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Vitamin C: 57.1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2.7mg
