Puliyodarai Paste or Tamarind Paste

This is a very popular South Indian spice paste which is mixed with rice. This paste is very tasty and has a spicy tangy taste. You can find my tamarind rice recipe here.

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Tamarind, orange sized

• Salt, to taste

• 1/4 cup peanuts

For tempering

• 1/4 cup Sesame oil

• 2 tsps Mustard seeds

• 6 Red chillies

• 7-8 Curry leaves

• 2 tsps Turmeric powder

• 2 tsps Chana dal

• 2 tsps Urad dal

• 1 tsp Hing

For the spice powder

• 2 tbsp Coriander seeds

• 2 tsps Methi seeds

• 1 tsp Pepper

• 10 Red chillies

• 1 heaped tbsp Sesame seeds

Instructions

To make the spice powder

1. Roast all the spice powder ingredients one by one, except hing

2. Make a coarse powder and keep aside

For the paste

1. Soak tamarind in hot boiling water for an hour and remove the thick pulp

2. Roast peanuts, remove the skin and keep aside

3. In a heavy saucepan, take oil splutter mustard seeds

4. Add chana dal and urad dal and saute till light brown

5. Add turmeric powder, hing, curry leaves, red chillies and saute for 1 minute

6. Add the tamarind pulp, salt and start boiling

7. Once thick, add the spice powder and the roasted peanuts and cook on low flame till it becomes as thick as pickle

Notes

• Be generous in oil as it tends to spoil if the paste is not soaked in oil

• Keep the paste refrigerated