Tamarind Rice (Puli Sadam)

Ingredients:

• Tamarind   - 1 oz
• Rice          - 1¹/₂ cups
• Dry chillies - 4
• Gingely oil - 1 dsp
• Ghee         - 2 dsp
• Black gram dal - 1¹/₂ tsp
• Bengal gram dal- 1¹/₂ tsp
• Mustard seeds  - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek        - ¹/₄ tsp
• Cashewnuts       - 16
• Asafoetida powder - a pinch
• Turmeric powder   - ¹/₄ tsp
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Soak the tamarind in one cup of water for 15 minutes and draw the pulp and strain. Cook the rice in boiled water and drain it. Fry and powder, black gram dal and fenugreek and mix them with turmeric powder and asafoetida.

Season mustard, pieces of dry chillies, bengal gram and cashew nuts in gingely oil, add tamarind water, the powdered turmeric and asafoetida and boil till thick. Add enough salt and mix in the rice and the ghee.