Puli Pongal, also known as tamarind pongal, is a delightful South Indian dish that offers a unique, tangy twist to traditional the pongal. Made with rice or broken rice, it’s flavoured with mustard, green chillies, coriander seeds, hing (asafoetida), and, most importantly, tamarind juice, which gives it its signature sour taste. It is a perfect dish for breakfast but can also be enjoyed as brunch or evening snack.
How To Make Puli Pongal At Home?
Ingredients
- Cracked/Regular Rice – 1 cup
- Tamarind (size of a lemon)
- Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
- To be roasted and powdered:
- Dried Red Chilli – 1
- Cumin Seeds – 1 tbsp
- Bengal Gram – 1 tbsp
- Peppercorns – ¼ tsp
For seasoning:
- Sesame Oil – 4 tbsp
- Mustard Seeds – ¼ tsp
- Dried Red Chillies – 2
- Bengal Gram – 1 tbsp
- Urad Dal – 1 tbsp
- Roasted Chickpeas – 1 tbsp
- Hing (Asafoetida) – ¼ tsp
- Curry Leaves – A few
- Salt – To taste
Recipe
- Start by soaking tamarind in water. Once soaked, squeeze the tamarind to extract the juice, adding more water to make sure you have around four cups of juice.
- In a small pan, add a teaspoon of oil and fry the Bengal gram, black gram, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, and one dried red chilli. Allow this mixture to cool before grinding it into a powder.
- In another pan, heat some sesame oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start popping, add Bengal gram, peanuts, and urad dal. Fry until light brown.
- Add the dried red chillies, hing, and curry leaves to the pan and fry for a few seconds. Then, add the tamarind juice along with turmeric powder and salt. Let the mixture boil on medium heat.
- Once the mixture begins to boil, add the rice and stir well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat.
- When the mixture thickens, stir in the ground masala powder and mix thoroughly to ensure even distribution. Before removing the pan from the stove, add a teaspoon of oil for extra flavour.
