Tamrind Rice/ Chintapandu Pulihora

 The Tamarind rice, the Pulihora is my family's any time favorite. If my husband is hungry, all he ask me to do is  పులిహోర . In south India, it is offered as a prasadam in every festival. Pulihora is made with rice by adding tamarind sauce .  

So here we go with the recipe

Source: Own
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
Rice: 3 cups
Tamarind Juice: 1 cup( Extracted from tamarind by soaking it in hot water or u can cook it in microwave for 
                         30 sec intervals for 2 mins).
Peanuts: 2-3 tbsp
Cashews: 1tbsp( if desired)
Mustard seeds: 2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 2 tsp
Whole dried red chillies: 5-6
Urad dal: 2 tsp ( minapappu)
Channa dal: 2 tsp (split bengal gram)
Pinch o f hing
Green chillies: 4-5 ( slit length wise)
Turmeric Powder: 2tsp
Oil: 3tbsp
Salt: 2 tsp or to taste
Curry Leaves: 2 stems

Cooking:
1) Cook rice such that each grain is separated (put 1tsp lemon juice. It helps to cook rice in grainy form)
Sprinkle 1 tsp turmeric powder  on the rice and spread it to cool.
2) Meanwhile, Heat oil in a pan, add red chillies,channa dal, urad dal. Now add mustard seeds n let them splutter, add cumin seeds, green chillies,hing, turmeric powder  curry leaves and fry for few secs.
3) Now add peanuts n cashews and fry for  2 mins.
 Add tamarind juice and cook for 5 mins or raw smell of tamarind goes off. Add salt.

4)Now mix the tamarind sauce with rice n mix well without any lumps.

                                                           Tamarind rice..
Tamarind rice tastes better after it rests for 2hrs or more time. If u cant wait such long time , u can enjoy mouth watering pulihora after 15 mins.