In Kovil Puliyodharai, Coriander seeds, peppercorns and groundnut is a must which differentiates this puliyodharai from regular Tamarind Rice. In my hometown Trichy, my grandmom’s house is just a step from Srirangam Ranganathar temple and I have gone there a zillion times. I never miss to buy this puliyodharai along with other prasadam’s which tastes divine. While in Chennai, I had a lot of chances to taste the Parthasarthy temple puliyodhari which is famous. Though we could not recreate the same taste as done in temple madapalli, we can try this Temple Style Puliyodharai which at least near that taste.

Kovil Puliyodharai

Kovil Puliyodharai | Temple Style Puliyodharai
Equipment
- Stovetop
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ML, 1 tsp = 5 ML
For Tamarind Paste / Puli kachal
- 2 Cups Cooked Rice
- 1 Lemon Sized Tamarind
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
- 1 Generous Pinch Hing
- 1 Handful Peanuts
- ½ tsp Jaggery
- Salt As Required
- Water As Needed
To Roast and Grind
- 1½ tbsp Channa Dal
- 1 tsp Urad Dal
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1½ tsp Sesame Seeds
- 5 to 6 Red Chilli
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
To Temper
- 2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 2 tsp Channa Dal
- 1 Pinch Hing
- 2 Red Chilli
- 2 sprig Curry Leaves
- 2 tbsp Gingelly Oil
Instructions
- Soak tamarind in water. Extract tamarind water. In a pan dry roast peanuts till golden brown until nice aroma wafts. Cooldown and remove the skin of peanuts. In the same pan, add 1 tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients given under the table 'To Roast and Grind'.
- Allow it cool and grind it in a mixer to a coarse powder. Heat a Kadai, add gingelly oil generously and add the items given in the table 'To Temper'. Then add tamarind water.
- Add turmeric powder and little more water. Let it boil well and now add the spice powder, jaggery and salt.
- Boil it in low flame for few more minutes and add peanuts. By now the water reduces to half the quantity. The paste starts to thicken, stir in between or else the bottom gets burnt. When the oil starts to separate, switch off the flame. The paste should be in semi gravy consistency.
- Now the puli kachal is ready. Add puli kachal little by little to the cooked rice and mix well without breaking the grains. Pour 2 tsp of gingelly oil and adjust puli kachal and salt as per your taste.Spicy Kovil Puliyodharai is ready.
Notes
Tips for Temple Style Puliyodharai
1. Adjust red chilli's as per your spice level for this Temple Style Puliyodharai.2. Use only gingelly oil for this rice which enhances the taste.
3. Addition of coriander seeds and peppercorns is a must for this Kovil Puliyodharai.
4. Use hing, curry leaves and gingelly oil generously which gives a nice aroma to this rice.
5. This puli kachal can be stored for 3 weeks under refrigeration and 4 to 5 days when kept outside.

Temple Style Puliyodharai
Method for Kovil Puliyodharai
1. Soak tamarind in water. Extract tamarind water. In a pan dry roast peanuts till golden brown until nice aroma wafts. Cooldown and remove the skin of peanuts. In the same pan, add 1 tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients given under the table ‘To Roast and Grind‘.
2. Allow it cool and grind it in a mixer to a coarse powder. Heat a Kadai, add gingelly oil generously and add the items given in the table ‘To Temper’. Then add tamarind water.
3. Add turmeric powder and little more water. Let it boil well and now add the spice powder, jaggery and salt.
4. Boil it in low flame for few more minutes and add peanuts. By now the water reduces to half the quantity. The paste starts to thicken, stir in between or else the bottom gets burnt. When the oil starts to separate, switch off the flame. The paste should be in semi gravy consistency.
5. Now the puli kachal is ready. Add puli kachal little by little to the cooked rice and mix well without breaking the grains. Pour 2 tsp of gingelly oil and adjust puli kachal and salt as per your taste.
Spicy Kovil Puliyodharai is ready.

Kovil Puliyodharai
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