Vegan Tamarind Rice (Puliyodarai)

🛒 Ingredients

• #Base Rice;
• 2 cups uncooked white rice (basmati or short‑grain), cooked and cooled
• 1 tbsp sesame oil or coconut oil
• #Tamarind Base;
• ½ cup thick tamarind pulp (seedless, soaked and strained)
• 1 tbsp jaggery or coconut sugar (adjust to taste)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder,, Salt to taste
• #Spice & Tempering Mix;
• 2 tbsp raw peanuts or cashews,, 1 tsp mustard seeds,, 1 tsp split black gram (urad dal)
• 1 tsp split Bengal gram (chana dal),, 2–3 dried red chillies, broken
• 1 sprig fresh curry leaves,, 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Spice powder (dry roast & grind): 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp cumin seeds

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Prep rice: Cook rice until fluffy, spread on a tray to cool completely, and keep grains separate.

2. 2

   Make the spice powder: Dry roast coriander, fenugreek, peppercorns, and cumin over low heat until fragrant; cool and grind to a fine powder.

3. 3

   Cook tamarind paste: Heat 1 tbsp oil, add tamarind pulp, turmeric, salt, and jaggery. Simmer for 8–10 minutes until thick and raw smell disappears. Stir in the ground spice powder, mix well, and set aside.

4. 4

   Temper: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds, dals, red chillies, curry leaves, and nuts. Fry until dals turn golden and nuts are crisp.

5. 5

   Combine: Add the thickened tamarind paste to the tempering, stir well. Turn off heat, gently fold in the cooled rice until every grain is evenly coated.

6. 6

   Rest & serve: Let it sit for 10 minutes so flavours blend fully. Serve warm or at room temperature with papad or yogurt.