Spicy, tangy and aromatic Andhra Pulihora is much loved rice recipe by Andhraites. Pulihora has always been part of festivals and celebrations. Pulihora is often made by using tamarind and is called chintapandu pulihora in Andhra.
Must-Try Easy Rice Recipes – Coconut Rice, Lemon Rice, Mango Rice, Ghee Rice, Sesame Rice (Til ke Chawal), Coriander Rice, Gongura Pulihora, Mamidikaya Semiya Pulihora.
Why is Pulihora called Pulihora?
The word pulihora is a combination of two words Puli and Hora. ‘Puli’ is derived from ‘pulupu’ which means sour or tangy. The sourness or tanginess in the recipe come from tamarind or lemon or mango. ‘Hora’ is derived from ‘origamu’ which means food or meals in Telugu language.
Different Types of Pulihora
South Indian delicacy Pulihora is known by different names in south Indian States. In
Andhra – Pulihora
Karnataka – Puliyogare
Tamil Nadu – Puliyodarai
Depending on the ingredient used to bring sourness in the recipe, there are different types of pulihora. Some of them are,
Nimmakaya Pulihora – Lemon Rice
Chintapandu Pulihora – Tamarind Rice
Dabbakaya Pulihora – Grapefruit Rice | Citron Rice
Mamidikaya Pulihora – Raw Mango Rice
Chinta Chiguru Pulihora – Tender Tamarind Leaves Rice
Usirikaya Pulihora – Amla or Gooseberry Rice
My dad calls pulihora as ‘tiger rice’. According to my dad, ‘puli’ means tiger in Telugu and it is yellow color. Whenever, mom makes pulihora, he use to say “aaj tiger rice bana hain”. There are many variations in making this recipe. Today I am going to share with you a simple and easy recipe which I learnt recently from my friend’s mom.
Andhra Chintapandu Pulihora Recipe
Chintapandu pulihora is commonly called as poor man’s festival food in Andhra. Pulihora is a combination of hot, sour, salty and spicy tastes (all at a time). Pulihora is known as a good stimulant for a dull appetite. Andhra style Pulihora is a good picnic and long-distance travel recipe.
Tamarind Rice is,
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
- Easy
- Easy lunch box recipe
- Perfect for picnic and travel
- Stays good for two days
- Can make with leftover rice too
Pulihora Ingredients:
Rice: The best rice to make pulihora is sona masoori. Rice is the star ingredient in making pulihora. A day old or pre-cooked rice is best in making this recipe. The cooked rice should be grainy (grains should be separate) not sticky. We will cook rice in tamarind paste for few minutes. However, If the rice is sticky then pulihora will turn mushy and will not be looking good.
After the rice has cooked, fluff it up with fork. Evenly spread it on a kitchen towel or plate and cool it down completely. If I am cooking plain white rice, then I will not add salt to it. If you are adding salt to rice, while cooking then adjust salt accordingly in tamarind paste.
Tamarind: There are many ways to use tamarind in making this recipe. Some use store bought tamarind pulp and some make it at home. Homemade tamarind extract is easy to make. You can make extract and store in fridge. Stays good for a month.
Peanuts: Adding peanuts is optional. Peanuts bring nice crunch in the recipe. You can easily substitute peanuts with cashews. I like adding roasted peanuts to pulihora. However, if roasted peanuts are not handy then fry peanuts along with tempering ingredients.
Green Chillies: We Andhraites love our food spicy and fiery. Green chillies along with tamarind bring unique taste in this recipe.
Tempering: Tadka is soul of Andhra Cuisine. Tadka brings flavour in the recipe and ehances the taste too. Chana dal, urad dal, dry red chilies, mustard, cumin and curry leaves are basic tadka ingredients.
Jaggery: Spicy and tangy taste in pulihora, are balanced by adding jaggery or sugar. Adding jaggery is purely optional ingredient. I recommend using jaggery and experience the taste.
Recipe Notes
How To Make Tamarind Pulp?
Soak lemon size tamarind in 1 cup lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes. Using fingers, gently squeeze the tamarind in water and strain the mixture. Pour this tamarind water in a pan and bring it to boil. On low flame cook tamarind water. Stir in between to avoid burning of mixture.
When the tamarind water starts to thicken and coats the spoon, turn off the flame. Leave this to cool completely. Tamarind pulp is ready to use. We can use tamarind pulp in making dals, chaats, etc;
NOTE: Salt and turmeric powder will act as preservatives. Hence, adding these at the time of cooking tamarind pulp will keep the pulp fresh for long.
How To Store Tamarind Pulp?
When the tamarind pulp reaches room temperature, transfer it in a clean and dry airtight container. Leave this in fridge. Stays fresh for a month. You can even freeze this in deep freezer. Always use clean and dry spoon to take tamarind pulp.
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Tamarind Pulihora Recipe
Spicy, tangy and aromatic Andhra Pulihora is much loved rice recipe by Andhraites. Pulihora has always been part of festivals and celebrations.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cooked rice *
- 1/2 cup Tamarind pulp
- 5-6 tbsp. Peanuts, roasted
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp. Jaggery, optioanl
FOR TEMPERING | TADKA:
- ½ tbsp. Mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp. Cumin | Jeera seeds
- ½ tbsp. Chana dal
- ½ tbsp. Urad dal
- 2 dry Red chillies
- 2-3 Green chillies, deseeded and slit length-wise
- ¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
- 6-9 Curry leaves
- 4 tbsp. Oil
Instructions
How to make Pulihora | Tamarind Rice
- First add oil to a pan and when it heats up add chana dal and urad dal.
- Fry on low flame till dals start to change color.
- Now add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, green chillies and curry leaves.
- Fry till curry leaves starts to change color.
- To this add tamarind pulp, salt and turmeric powder.
- Cook till the raw smell of tamarind disappears.
- Finally, add cooked rice and roasted peanuts.
- Gently give this a stir till all the grains are neatly coated with mixture.
- Cook on a low flame for few 5-6 minutes covering with a lid.
- Allow it to cool down for 1-2 hours to get flavours absorbed by the rice.
- Add ‘love’ to make this Andhra Style Chintapandu Pulihora taste ‘YUMMY’.
Notes
Lubna's Serving Suggestions:
What to serve with pulihora?
You can serve pulihora with,
- Potato or Banana Chips
- Pickle
- Papad
- Potato Fry
- Chicken Fry
- Murukku
- Boondi
- Vada
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 685Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 438mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 8gSugar: 11gProtein: 20g
sowmya says
love pulihora anytime..looks really tasty..
Jayashree Mudaliar says
KF..this looks delicious..I love Tamarind Rice..
Hey even I wanted to participate in the Rice Mela contest. Can u send me more information pls…Thanks!!!
Kitchen Flavours says
Thank You Sowmya and Jayashree.
homecooked says
Wow….looks good! Yummy!
G.Pavani says
Hi kf it looks really yummy n colurful..i love it to eat at any time
srikars kitchen says
Nice colour… looks perfect..
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
A fragrant rice dish! It looks wonderful!
cheers,
Rosa
Adlak's tiny world says
wel presented one i too love pulihora…. thanks for all yr commnts and care dear…
come and pick up the gift from my -ITS A REFRESHING TIME post dear.
Happy cook says
Love the colour and looks so yumm.
Curry Leaf says
Looks lovey,but I must admit,I love tamarind,but I am not a fan of pulihora
Zee says
Drool…droooool…definitely one of mah favourites..anytime ready for this zesty and sourish rice..beautiful presentation:)
Srivalli says
sure looks great!..thanks for sending the entry…
Yasmeen says
Tiger rice…good one. Tangy tamarind rice ,nice presentation:)
n33ma says
love pulihora more than our traditional Lemon rice these days.
Ramya Vijaykumar says
Nice pics, perfect lunch for the weather…
Mahimaa's kitchen says
sounds instant and easy.. will try it.
RAKS KITCHEN says
My all time favorite! Now you have tempted me So much sure i am going to make this weekend;D
Purva Desai says
Tamarind rice looks tangy and yummy
Andhra Flavors says
jindabadh pilihora 🙂
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Sowjanya says
wow,
love your pulihora… The pics are looking good. Its my all time favorite dish. Thanks for posting.
LG says
Pulihora anytime 🙂 looks yummy dear. You have few awards in my blog.
Dibs says
Puliogare is an all time fav. Its one our very earliest posts.
Hey – Have some awards waiting for you. Do pick them up.
Uma says
this is the best comfort food! looks so delicious and mouth-watering.
Kitchen Flavours says
Thank you Homecooked, Pavani, Srikar, Rosa, Adlak, Happy cook, Curry leaf, Zee, Srivalli, Yasmeen, Neema, Ramya, Mahima, Rak’s, Purva, Andhra flavors, Sowjanya, LG and Dibs.
Vibaas says
Pulihora is my all time favorite. Looks delicious. This is how i make puli upma – with idli rava.
Nazarina A says
It is just the cutest and most delicious serving of rice, just the way I like it!!! I love the tartness of tamarind!
I have an award for you, but you may already have received it a long time ago!
Priya says
Prefectly cooked n prepared pulihora looks delicious…
Natashya says
I love tamarind, the sweet/sour flavour really perks up a dish. I haven’t had it rice before, sounds tasty!
Kitchen Flavours says
Thank you Vibaas, Nazarina, Priya and Natashya.