Puliodharai

09 May Puliodharai

Ever wondered why Tambrams are this high IQ, high EQ community?

Here’s our magic potion, the thing that has helped us beat 97% reservation in Tamil Nadu, the thing that keeps us happy in Silicon Valley or Singapore or Srirangam…

Puliodharai is our DNA in food form. You never truly know us until you have imbibed it as ‘prasaadam’ at a Tambram temple.

First, the names.

Puliodharai = Tamarind Rice.

Puliodharai = Pulikaachal (the paste), cooked rice, and a spoon of gingelly oil.

I’m sure if you’ve got this far, you can figure out the rice part. Just remember, Tambrams don’t do cutlery, and a good rice mix is done with the hands, not worrying about disturbing the anatomy of the grains.

Here’s how to make ‘Pulikaachal’.

PULIKAACHAL – Yields 400 gms.

1. Chana Dal – 0.75 ice-cream bowl
2. Groundnuts – 0.75 ice-cream bowl
3. Tamarind – An orange-sized ball
4. Dry Red Chilli – 10-12
5. Curry Leaves – 10 sprigs
6. Methi Seeds – 3 tsp
7. Asafoetida (Heeng) – 1.5 tsp
8. Gingelly Oil (‘Nalla Ennai’) – 3 ice-cream bowls
9. Mustard Seeds – 4 tsp
10. Haldi – 3 tsp
11. Dhania Powder – 2.5 tbsp
12. Salt – To Taste

PREP – STAGE-0

1. Soak Chana Dal & Groundnuts in water separately, I hour
2. Extract Tamarind paste, throw out seeds and reeds. Don’t worry with being subtle with the texture… As long as what’s stuck on your fingers is edible, it’s in.

PREP – STAGE-1

1. Take a dry pan. Roast Methi seeds.
2. Add Heeng when Methi seeds are starting to change colour.
3. Remove as Methi seeds look lightly roasted.
4. Hand grind this into a rough powder.
5. Add Dhania powder to this, keep aside.

MAIN COOK

1. Take a large wok/kadhai, preferably heavy bottomed, on large flame. Add Gingelly oil.
2. Once the oil’s hot, add Mustard seeds. As they crackle, drain out water from the soaked Chana Dal & Groundnuts, and pour in. At this stage, it’s a good idea to watch out for oil shards, since residual water in the grains pops when it meets the hot oil.
3. Wait 5 minutes, keeping the flame medium, and then add Curry leaves & Dry Red Mirchi. Split curry leaves before you sprinkle them in, because that is what releases their flavor. It’s a good idea to split the Dry Red Chillies also in two. In case you’re queasy about the hot index, you may reduce a few chillies, but remember, this is a Tambram dish.
4. When the groundnuts start to burst, reduce the flame and add Haldi. In case you’re cooking for kids, an extra spoon of haldi won’t hurt… It gives the rice a brighter yellow colour, and there’s the health benefit too. Mix well.
5. Now add the tamarind paste. This is when you get a quantitative idea of what you’re cooking, so this is a good time to add salt. Remember, the dish works mostly with rice, so add a little extra for the rice.
6. Increase flame to large, and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Reduce flame to medium thereafter, and stir until the paste is almost dry.
7. Remove from flame. Sprinkle in the Methi-Heeng-Dhania powder as prepared. Keep your Kadhai/Wok covered until cool.
8. Transfer paste to a dry glass dish with a firm cover, and refrigerate.
9. Each time you need to make Puliodharai, use 1 tbsp Pulikaachal per cup of cooked rice, and a few drops of Gingelly oil, mix well with the hands.

NOTE – Pulikaachal stores almost for a month if cooked properly and stored carefully. While cooking, ensure that your pan and ladles are dry, and avoid any activity in the kitchen that involves sprinkling water. Likewise, your storage vessel must be dry with a firm cover, and each time you extract from it, you need to use a dry spoon.

Cheers. The food of the Gods is now within reach.