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Pulikaachal in a container
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5 from 2 votes

Pulikaachal | Puliyodharai Recipe

Pulikaachal or Puliyodharai when mixed with rice is one of the very traditional rice dishes in Tamil cusine. Since they can be done in bulk in advance and needs to be mixed with rice to get them ready, it is a perfect main course for big events.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Homemade Spices, Lunch Box Recipes, Side Dishes
Cuisine: Asian, Indian, Tamil Nadu
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 2 Pints
Calories: 1050kcal

Equipment

  • Container

Ingredients

  • Puli tamarind – Big orange ball size
  • cup Channa dal Kadalai paruppu
  • 1 tablespoon Urad dal Ullutham paruppu
  • 20 Red chilies adjust this based on your spice level
  • ½ cup Sesame oil Nalla ennai
  • 3 tablespoon Methi seeds menthayam
  • ¼ cup Jaggery vellam
  • ½ cup Peanuts roasted
  • 4 tablespoon White sesame seeds ellu
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder Manchal podi
  • ½ teaspoon Asafetida Perungayam
  • to taste Salt
  • few Curry leaves karuveppilai

Instructions

  • Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of hot water for about 4 hrs. Squeeze the juice from the tamarind and extract it. Do the same thing again with about a cup of water and extract the juice. Keep this aside.
  • Dry roast the sesame seeds and powder it finely.
  • In about 2 tsps of oil fry the red chilies, channa dal, urad dal, menthiyam and perungayam. Let it cool down a bit and then grind it into a coarse powder.
  • In a deep pan, add the sesame oil (Gingelly oil). Add the mustard seeds, Asafetida, turmeric powder. Once the mustard seed splutter, add the extracted tamarind water. Let it boil well. Then add the curry leaves.
  • Once the tamarind water has reduced to about half its quantity, add the coarsely ground spice powder. Boil for about 10 more mins. You will notice that once the spice powder is added the tamarind water thickens. At this point add the salt and then the jaggery.
  • Once the pulikachal has reached a semi solid stage add the ellu powder and mix well. Switch off the flame and let it cool down to room temperature. Now add the peanuts and mix well.
  • Store the pulikaachal in airtight container in the refrigerator. If stored well, it will be good for about a month in the refrigerator. Ensure that you don’t introduce any moisture into the pulikachal for it to stay for a long time.
  • Tips for mixing riceCook the rice and let it cool down. Add a little sugar (about ½ tsp) first to the rice and then add the pulikachal and mix evenly. Add ghee or gingelly oil when mixing the rice to increase the flavor. Adjust the salt to your taste.

Notes

  • Use tamarind instead of tamarind pulp for better flavor.
  • I use the roasted and slightly salted peanut (planters) and it works great.
  • Make sure that you don’t use wet hands when using the pulikachal, because that could introduce unwanted moisture into the container and cause it to spoil soon.

Nutrition

Calories: 1050kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 83g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1328IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 360mg | Iron: 7mg