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Tamarind rice on a plate.
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5 from 1 vote

Easy Tamarind Rice Or Puliyogare Rice Recipe

Delicious tamarind rice or puliyogare is made with leftover rice, spices, nuts, tamarind, and coconut to make a very flavor-packed and unique rice dish.  Popular in Southern India, you’ll love this rice!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, south indian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: puliodhare, puliyogare, tamarind rice
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 242kcal
Author: Shilpa Joshi

Equipment

  • 2 pots
  • 1 spice grinder

Ingredients

Tamarind Rice (Puliyogare/Puliodharai) Spice Blend

  • 1½ tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1¼ tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 dry red chilies
  • ½ tsp fenugreek seeds methi
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp dried coconut shreds desiccated coconut (if you only have powder on hand, it can burn very quickly so keep an eye)
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or 1 dry Kashmiri chili

Rice

  • 1 cup rice I used Sona Masoori
  • 2 cups water

Tamarind Rice

  • 3 tbsp oil
  • ¼ cup raw peanuts
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • ¾ tsp mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp asafetida
  • 1 tsp urad dal
  • 1 tsp chana dal
  • 1 dry red chili
  • 15 curry leaves
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 1½ tbsp tamarind concentrate
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tbsp jaggery powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3-4 stalks cilantro leaves

Instructions

Make Rice

Make Puliyogare Powder

  • Dry roast whole spices on medium heat. Add in the following order: coriander and cumin seeds (1 minute), then dry red chillies and fenugreek seeds.
    Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and dry red chilies in a pan.
  • About 1 minute later, add coconut shreds and sesame seeds. Mix every 10-15 seconds. In about 1-2 minutes ingredients should be toasted but not burned. You will notice a fragrant smell.
    Dry roasting spices and desiccated coconut in pan.
  • Once spices have cooled, add to spice grinder along with Kashmiri chili powder and grind into a fine powder.
    Puliyogare podi in a small bowl.

Make Tamarind Rice

  • Mix tamarind concentrate with 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.
    Tamarind paste in a pan.
  • Add oil to pan and turn stove on medium-high heat. After oil heats up, add raw peanuts and cashews. Let them pan fry for about 2-3 or until they begin to turn golden brown. Once fried, remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.
    Cashews and peanuts pan frying in a pan.
  • Place same pan with oil back on the stove on medium-high heat. Add chana dal then urad dal. Then, add mustard seeds. Once they begin to sizzle add asafetida.
    Urad dal, chana dal, and mustard seeds in oil.
  • Next,add red chillies and curry leaves to pan. Give it a mix.
    Curry leaves, dry red chilies, chana dal, and urad dal frying in oil.
  • Then, add turmeric powder.
    Turmeric powder added to the pan.
  • Quickly add diluted tamarind mixture and jaggery powder to pan. Mix well Let simmer 2-3 minutes. Turn gas to medium heat.
    Tamarind concentrate and jaggery powder added to pan.
  • Add cooked, cooled rice. Mix.
    Sona masoori rice added to jaggery and spice tamarind sauce.
  • Add cashews and nuts. Mix well. Rice should be a little moist.
    Cashews and peanuts added to tamarind rice.
  • Mix in chopped fresh cilantro and serve.
    Plate of tamarind rice garnished with cilantro leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 398mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg