• Soak a small lemon sized tamarind in 1 cup hot water for 10 minutes.
• Add one more cup of water and extract 2 cups of tamarind juice.
• Dry roast the coriander seeds and make a powder of it, when it is still warm.
• Do not use store bought coriander powder, it will alter the taste.
• Since we are making this in small quantity, it will be little coarse only.
• Also roast the fenugreek seeds in the till it’s golden.
• Powder this in a mixie when it is still warm.
• You can use store bought venthaya powder as well.
• When making it at home, you can make little more as it is very difficult to powder the small quantity.
• Later you can use it for while making cut mango pickle.
• In a pan add 1 tsp sesame oil and add the red chilis. Take out the stem if any.
• Saute till it becomes crisp. Ensure not to burn it.
• When it is cool, crush this with your hands.
• Do not pulse in the mixie.
• In a pan add ¼ cup sesame oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal to this.
• Add few curry leaves
• Saute till the dal turns golden brown color.
• Now add the tamarind extract.
• Add ½ tsp turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt
• Add the crushed red chilis to this.
• Mix well.
• Now add the roasted fenugreek powder.
• Let this boil till it reaches a thick consistency.
• Add the jaggery powder also.
• It took around 20 minutes in medium flame to reach the puli kaichal consistency.
• Switch off the flame and add the roasted coriander powder.
• Mix well.
• Drizzle 1 tsp of sesame oil on the top.
• Allow this to cool completely and store this in a clean dry glass or porcelain jar.
• This stays good in the fridge for an year. Always use dry spoon to take the pulikaichal.

Let’s make puliyodarai now.

• Cook ½ cup of raw rice with 1 cup water for 3-4 whistles.
• Once pressure is released, take out and spread it in a wide bowl.
• When it is cool, add ¼ tsp of turmeric powder to it.
• Temper peanuts and pottukadalai in 1 tbsp sesame oil and add it to the rice.
• Add 2tbsp of pulikaichal to this.
• Mix well evenly, you can use your hands to mix this.
• If it is spicy add little salt to neutralise it.
• If packing this for travel or going to consume after 4 hours, add 2 tsp more of pulikaichal.
• Kalyana puliyodarai is ready.