Puliyogre and Puliyogre gojju

Puliyogre is tamarind spiced rice that is quite popular in the South of India. While each state has a different variation of it, we are writing the Karnataka version regularly known as the puliyogre. This recipe also includes the preparation of the gojju or paste required for preparing puliyogre.

Ingredients:

Puliyogre gojju

Tamarind (Imli/chinta pandu) A handful (50 gms)
Rasam powder 2tbsp
Jaggery (gud/bellam) 1blob
Black gram (Urad dal/uddipappu) 2tsps
Bengal gram (Chana dal/ senaga badalu) 2tsps
Red chillies 2
Fenugreek seeds (Methi/Menthulu) 1tsp
Sesame seeds (til/nuvvulu) 1tsp
Asafoetida (HIng/ inguva) 1tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera/Jeelakarra) 1tsp
Pepper corns ½ tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Peanuts A handful
Curryleaves A handful
Refined cooking oil 1tbsp
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

Puliyogre:

Rice 1cup
Oil 1tsp
Puliyogre gojju 1tbsp

Method:

Puliyogre gojju


Puliyogre gojju is a tamarind based paste that is made to be mixed with rice. The above ingredient is worth a 200gm paste and the paste can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated for a week to 10 days.

Take a handful of tamarind and soak in about half a glass of water for 20 mins. Squeeze the tamarind hard for a thick and pulpy paste. The thicker the squeeze, the better the gojju.

Add salt to taste, rasam powder, jaggery and leave to boil for around half an hour till the paste turns soft and thick. Note that the paste will splash all over and that means it is cooking well, though the cleaning part later is also to be enjoyed. Please also do not put any spoon/ladle in as that will reduce the shelf life of the gojju.

In a separate pan, dry roast in a tsp oil a tsp each of black gram, Bengal gram, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, Asafoetida, half a tsp of pepper corns and 2 red chillies. Set aside to cool and grind to a fine powder.

Prepare a seasoning in 1 tbsp heated oil with a tsp each of black gram, Bengal gram, mustard seeds, a handful of peanuts and curry leaves and a pinch each of turmeric and asafoetida.

As the paste turns thick and soft, add the above ground powder, seasoning and stir hard for around 4 mins. Remove from heat and set to cool. Once at room temperature, shift into a clean, airtight container and store.



Puliyogre


Cook a cup of raw rice. Add the above prepared puliyogre gojju, a tsp of oil and mix well. Serve hot.

Puliyogre is generally had as is and is complimented with curd rice. Having a few chips to munch along is a great idea. Puliyogre is an easy lunchbox recipe, if the paste is available. So this weekend prepare the puliyogre gojju and enjoy the week with tangy, hot puliyogre.