Tamarind Rice

Ingredients:

1cup Cooked rice

1 Tamarind (lime size)

2 cups Water

1tbsp Peanuts (roasted)

3-4 Dry red chilli

1/2tsp Mustard seeds

1/2tsp Urad dal

1/4tsp Fenugreek seeds

1 pinch Asafoetida

5-6 Curry leaves

2tbsp Sesame oil

Salt 

For roasting:

1tbsp Coriander seeds

1/2tbsp Chana dal

1/2tbsp Urad dal

4 Dry red chilli

How to:

• Prepare tamarind juice by immersing and squeezing the tamarind in 2 cups of water.

• Cool the rice, add 1/2tbsp oil and mix well. (This way the rice won't stick together.)

• Heat 1 1/2tbsp oil in a skillet, add dry red chilli, mustard seeds, when it sputters, add urad dal, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and peanuts.

• Pour the tamarind juice into the skillet along with salt and cook until its reduced and starts thickening.

• Check salt for taste and mix well with the cooked rice.

• In another pan, heat 2tsp of oil, add the roasting ingredients and roast until they starts browning.

• Let it cool and grind them to a coarse but not very fine powder.

• Add around 2 1/2tbsp of the ground powder to the rice and mix well.

Serve hot with toor dal chutney and chips.

Garlic-Tamarind Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

3 Tomatoes
7-8 Pearl onions
5-6 Garlic pods
2 piece Tamarind
3-4 Red dry chilli
1tsp mustard seeds
1tsp Cumin seeds
1 pinch Fenugreek seeds
6-7 Curry leaves
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
1tbsp Chilli powder
2tbsp Coriander powder
3-4tbsp Sesame oil
Salt
Water

How to:

• Chop the tomatoes and puree it. Also make tamarind juice with 1 cup water.

• In a deep pan heat Sesame oil, add mustard seeds, when they crackle, add cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds.
• Add dry red chilli, curry leaves and pearl onions. Fry them carefully as they may get burnt.

• Once the pearl onions starts browning, add the pureed tomato and cook well, with lid closed.
• Once the tomatoes are cooked, add turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder and cook for 2 mins also add garlic and cook for 2 more mins.

• Now pour the tamarind juice followed by 2 cups of water along with salt.
• Check the taste and add water, so that it doesn't end up too sour.
• Mix well and let it cook till you get the right consistency.

Spicy kuzhambu is ready to serve with steamed rice.