Chintapandu Pulihora Recipe -- Andhra Tamarind Rice -- How to cook Chintapandu Pulihora Recipe

Pulihora is a traditional and favourite recipe among south Indians especially Andhras. It tastes different from puliyogare. Sour taste of tamarind dominates the rice but neutralized by the spicy taste of green chillies and ginger. The combination of all ingredients like tamarind, green chillies, fried peanuts and curry leaves makes tasty pulihora. Pulihora is the main dish during all festivals and occasions. It is also offered as the ‘prasadam’ in many temples.
Of course it can be enjoyed only when we prepare it with the fresh tamarind pulp instead of readymade mixes.
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Recipe Category: Rice
Recipe Cuisine: Andhra
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups
Tamarind pulp (thick) - 1 cup
Green Chillis - 5
Ginger - 4" Long
Curry Leaves - 7 or 10
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Jagery - small piece
Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil - 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Black gram - 1 tbsp
Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 2
Pea nuts - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

Soak tamarind in water for half an hour.
Slit the green chillies and chop ginger.
Heat oil in a wok or kadai. Add peanuts, Bengal gram, and Black gram. Let them fry till they turn brown colour.
Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and Red chillies. When they start spluttering add green chillies, ginger pieces and curry leaves.
Squeeze out tamarind juice from the soaked tamarind.
Add turmeric powder, salt and tamarind pulp to the above seasoning. Add jaggery also. Let it boil for 10 minutes or till the oil separates.
Pressure cook the rice, for 1 cup of rice add 2 cups of water. Once it cooled spread the rice in a wide plate.
Add the above tamarind mixture to the above cooled rice.
Mix it with a spatula so that boiled rice won't get crushed.
Mix well so that the tamarind pulp combines with rice grains evenly.
Serve pulihora with fresh curd after two or three hours. This tastes good.