Puliyogare is a traditional Karnataka-style tamarind rice made by tempering pre-cooked rice in a spicy tamarind paste. It is very flavourful, slightly spicy, sweet, and sour. Puliyogare is also prepared on auspicious days and festivals and offered as prasadam (offerings).

~ sunflower (genus helianthus)~

~ Sunflowers are known to be the ‘happy’ flowers. They symbolise adoration, loyalty and longevity.

~ Each sunflower is actually thousands of tenny flowers.

~ When sunflowers are young, they track the sun throughout the day—this is called heliotropism. It is believed that they do this because they follow a circadian rhythm like humans—they face east at dawn and slowly turn west as the sun moves across the sky before resetting themselves overnight. Mature sunflowers stop tracking the sun and only face east.

puliyogare

Don’t be tempted to go light on the sugar; this dish relies on the perfect balance of sweet and sour.

preparation  30 minutes

serves 3 – 4

ingredients

1 cup/200g white basmati rice

2 cups water

voggarane

⅓ cup peanut or coconut oil

½ tsp heaped black mustard seeds

1 tsp heaped split channa dal

½ tsp heaped split urad dal

1 heaped Tbsp peanuts, chopped

⅛ tsp asafoetida powder

12 fresh curry leaves

⅛ tsp heaped turmeric powder

2 heaped tsp/25g puliyogare gojju*

½ cup/40g dried shredded coconut

4 heaped tsp/30g jaggery/brown sugar

1 heaped tsp fine rock salt

1 flat tsp rasam powder

*If you don’t have pre-made puliyogare gojju, make your own by mixing 2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate, 1 heaped Tbsp jaggery and 1 flat tsp rasam powder – mix to a paste.

to serve

cucumber slices

yoghurt/curd rice

preparation

  1. In a saucepan, wash the rice until the water runs clear. Drain and pour in 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer—simmer for 8 – 10 minutes, uncovered, or until the water has evaporated.
  2. Turn off the heat, cover and set aside to cool. Measure out the remaining ingredients.

prepare the voggarane

  1. In a skillet, over medium-high heat, add the oil, mustard seeds, channa, urad dal and peanuts; when the seeds turn grey and both dals are golden-brown, turn down the heat, add asafoetida, turmeric powder, and curry leaves – fry for 30 seconds, stirring to allow the spices to fry evenly.
  2. Turn off the heat and stir in the puliyogare gojju. Then add coconut, jaggery, salt, and rasam powder.
  3. Add the cooked rice, and gently combine, ensuring the rice is mixed well with the spices. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding salt or jaggery.  Garnish with a handful of coriander leaves and serve with a spoon of ghee.