• Soak tamarind in hot water for 20 mins.
• In the meanwhile, heat a pan with 1 tsp sesame oil.
• Add urad dal, chana dal, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, pepper, fenugreek and dry red chilies on low medium flame till dal begins to turn light brown.
• Once done, let cool and grind to a smooth powder.
• Mash the tamarind well into the water using your hands.
• Strain this to get rid of strings.
• Set aside the tamarind extract.
• Heat a pan with sesame oil.
• Add peanuts and fry till golden.
• Drain and set aside.
• Add mustard seeds to this and once they pop, add urad and chana dal along with curry leaves and asafetida.
• Once dal turns golden, add fried peanuts and immediately pour the tamarind extract along with salt and jaggery.
• Simmer this till the raw smell of the tamarind goes away. Takes about 5 mins.
• Once done, add the ground spice powder and mix well.
• Turn the flame to medium heat and simmer until the oil begins to float on top and the mixture has reduced by 1/2 in volume.
• This is our tamarind rice paste.

For making Puliodharai

• Pressure cook medium grained rice - ideally Sona Masoori or Ponni. I prefer the rice grains to be fluffy and separate from each other.
• Once rice has cooked, transfer it into a shallow and wide plate and spread it out.
• Drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil over the rice and fluff the rice up using a fork to make sure that the oil coats the rice grains evenly. This step helps prevent the rice from drying and keeps it fluffy and moist.
• Allow the rice to cool down completely.
• Once the rice has cooled down, you will need 1/4 cup of this paste for 1 cup to 1.5 cups cooked rice.
• I recommend that you start by adding 4 to 5 tbsp to the rice and increase the quantity if required.
• The rice should not taste bland. It should taste tangy, spicy and flavorful all at once.