Puli sevai / puli aval / puli rice / tamarind flavoured preparations

While the recipe for Puliyogarai or the traditional tamarind rice is a laborious time consuming process, this is a quick easy way of enjoying tamarind rice, sevai and poha / aval. The paste for the Puliyogarai can be made and kept in advance, but this is instantaneous. If you have Sambar powder with you, the cooking is done in a jiffy.

Ingredients:
Sevai / cooked white rice / Wet poha - 1 1/2 cup
Tamarind - lemon sized ball
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder - 1 tbsp heaped
Jaggery - 1 tbsp

For spluttering:
Til oil / Nallennai / sesame oil** - 2 tbsp
** while sesame oil is preferred, you can use vegetable oil also
Mustard - 1 tsp
Red chilly - 1 broken
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Ground nuts - 2 tbsp (optional)
Til seeds - 1 tsp (optional)
Urad dal - 1 tsp (optional)
Channa Dal - 1 tsp (optional)
Cashewnuts - 3 numbers, broken (optional)

Method:
Immerse the Tamarind in 4 tbsp water and extract a thick pulp.
Into this add the sambar powder, jaggery, salt and Turmeric powder.
The Jaggery must get completely dissolved in the puli.

Add the rice / sevai / poha to this and mix well.

Heat the oil in a kadai and splutter the mustard seeds. Add the dals (if using) and broken red chilly. Then add the ground nuts. Once they start popping, add the cashewnuts. Once they turn golden, add the curry leaf.

Add the tamarind mixed rice/ poha or sevai to this and mix well.
Cook for 3-4 minutes.

 Your tamarind flavored rice / seva / poha is ready.