Kalyana Pulikaichal (Indian Style Spiced Tamarind Paste for Rice)

 

Kalyana Pulikaichal

INGREDIENTS: 

Tamarind - one small lime size ball

Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

Water - 2 cups

Jaggery/ brown sugar - 1 teaspoon

TO MAKE SPICE POWDER:

Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

TO TEMPER:

Gingerly oil - 1/4 cup

Mustard - 1 teaspoon

Urad dal - 1 tablespoon

Channa dal - 2 tablespoons

Dry red chilies - 18 to 20 (broken to small pieces) (reduce it if you don't like spicy food)

Asafoetida/ Hing powder - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

METHOD:

1. First, take tamarind into the size of lime. Adding 2 cups of water to the tamarind and let it soak for 5 minutes. After that, squeeze tamarind in the water, and strain the tamarind water and discard the pulp.

2. In a pan, dry roast 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds and 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds. Roast the ingredients until golden brown. Grind them to fine powder. 

3. Heat a pan with 1/4 cup gingerly oil, add mustard and allow it to sputter. Then, add urad dal and channa dal, allow them to become light brown colour. After that, add broken pieces of dry chilies, asafoetida and curry leaves. 

4. Immediately, add the tamarind water into the tempered ingredients. Let the tamarind water boil and reduce to half.

5. When it has reduce to half, add salt (I added 2 teaspoons), jaggery or brown sugar and turmeric powder. Let the concoction boil and thicken further. At this stage, add another 2 tablespoons of gingerly oil. Boil for 5 minutes after adding oil. When oil starts floating on the surface and it has become semi- thick paste, switch off the flame. 

6. Last but not least, after switching off the stove, add the ground spice powder and give a quick mix. 

7. Cool this paste and store it in an air-tight container. Keep in the refrigerator.

 

Thank you

Abby