Pulikachal refers to a tamarind-based spicy condiment used as a side dish or to mix with rice to make the traditional Puliogarai or Tamarind rice.
Pulikachal and some memories
Pulikaachal was the one of the first trials made, when I moved cities post my marriage (ergo to please the husband man who was craving his grandmom’s dish), and somehow it turned out meh. Till I got the hang of the Tamilnadu-style of making this, with a little help from my husband who used to correct the trials one by one. Must admit It took me a little over 2 years to understand this dish (no, not to cook it, but to understand it better) and a over the next 10 years perfected it to make it from scratch… And am still learning :-).. . read on to learn more….
Fundamentally, for the Non-Tamilnadu cooks, Puliyogarai (made in the Kannada / Mysore style) as described here – with what is called Puliyogorai gojju, which was what amma used to make for most festival spreads. But Pulikaachal …. well…. was (is) another Tamilnadu beast waiting to be tamed. In the pre-blogging days, and when we still craved to access the internet in a cyber cafe, emailing was considered a luxury, so there was no Whatsapp or emails from mom or MIL to bail me out 😀
Well, am digressing.
Having the Convenience (??!!) of not living with my in laws then, I still didn’t know how to make this condiment considered by many Tamil brahmin households as a delicacy, no less 🙂 It took many years of prodding by the husband, and many more years of procrastination later, I finally decided to make this (nay, perfect this).
And the husband couldn’t actually believe I had made it. A bucketful of compliments later, I was ready to make a second batch soon, and here are the step by step pictures which helped me as a novice cook – which would help another of our guild in search of authentic Tamil recipes.
What is Pulikachal ?
Pulikaachal comes from Puli =Tamarind, and Kaachal = to stir / to stew . so basically, tamarind paste is spiced and preserved as a spicy , comforting paste . Pulikaachal is the paste that is mixed with rice to make tamarind rice a.k.a Temple Style Puliyodharai / Kovil Puliogarai, offered as prasadam or Naivedyam in most South Indian Vaishnavite temples – A specialty of the Iyengar community, this dish even finds a mention in 10th Century inscriptions and the literature of the 4th Century A.D.
Other Traditional Recipes using Tamarind are:
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Is Pulikachal the same as Karnataka style Puliogarai Gojju?
There are probably a hundred different ways to make this, each varying from household to household (including differing what my MIL makes too !!) , but the husband said this is exactly how he remembers savouring this condiment mixed with hot rice and topped with sesame oil. The Karnataka style (esp the Melkote puliogarai gojju) varies a bit. But this is as authenthic to the real deal. So, make a batch and enjoy !
Pulikaachal – a Tamarind based condiment / Dip , also a base paste to make Puliodhorai (a rice based offering to God)
Prep time : 20 mins, Cook time : 30 mins ; Makes : Approx 200-225 gms of Pulikaachal
Keeps upto 2 months under refrigeration
Ingredients to make Pulikachal:
- Sesame Oil / Nallennai / Til ka tel – 1/2 cup + 4 TBSP
- Tamarind / Imli / Puli – 100 gms
- Channa dal / Bengal gram / Kadalai paruppu – 2 TBSP
- Urad Dal / Ulutham paruppu – 2 TBSP
- Whole red chillies – 15 nos (I used pandi variety mirchi – you could sub with Guntur variety)
- Mustard seeds – 1 TBSP
- Peanuts – 3 TBSP
- Turmeric – 1 tsp
- Asafoetida – 1 TBSP
- Jaggery – 2 TBSP (optional, but recommended)
- Curry leaves – 4 to 5 sprigs
- Salt – to taste (about 1.5 tsp)
- Ellu / Sesame seeds – 1 TBSP (opt.) – black works better than white here
- Dry Copra – 2 TBSP (optional, but recommended)
For Spice powder: (Adjust spice according to taste)
- Coriander seeds / Malli – 3 TBSP
- 2 TBSP channa Dal
- 1 TBSP urad dal
- Black pepper – 2 TBSP
- Fenugreek seeds / Vendhayam / Methi dana – 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves – 2 sprigs (opt.)
- Red chilli – 5 to 6 (I used 2 kashmiri and 4 Guntur variety)
How to make Pulikachal:
Stage 1:
- Roast all spices for spice powder separately in 1 tsp of oil. Cool and grind. Divide spice powder into 2 parts : 2/3 and 1/3 portions respectively.
- Soak tamarind in hot water for 1/2 hour, extract the pulp
- Roast dry copra and sesame separately
Stage 2:
- Heat the deep bottomed thick kadai (if you have a cast iron pan, it works best). When the oil is heated, add peanuts and fry well till golden brown. remove only the peanuts to a plate with a slotted spoon
- Now add mustard seeds, turmeric, hing, curry leaves, broken red chillies, Urad and Channa dal and fry till dals turn golden brown, Now add the tamarind pulp with the water too. Add salt, 2/3 of the ground spice powder and jaggery.
Stage 3
- Let it cook on medium flame for 10-12 mins till the water evaporates and it becomes a thick pulp, the oil will spurt quite a bit so place a lid halfway, and away from your face.
- Once the mixture thickens even further and coats the back of a spoon (alternatively, the oil starts leaving the sides and the mixture starts simmering in slow spurts), turn off and add the fried peanuts , roasted copra and sesame seeds and mix well
- Let it completely cool.
- Transfer to airtight sterile steel / glass container.
- If you feel the gravy has thickened too much, heat addition 1/4 cup sesame oil, cool COMPLETELY and add to the mixture before bottling.
- Keeps for upto 2-3 months under refrigeration.
- Apart from making Puliogorai, this is also a great side dish for Curd Rice.
- To make Kovil Puliyodharai / Puliyogarai, Cook rice into separate grains, Add requisite Pulikaachal paste, the remaining spice powder and mix well. Serve immediately.
Pulikachal | How to make Pulikachal | Iyengar Pulikaachal recipe
Equipment
- Thick Bottomed Pan
- Spice Blender
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Sesame Oil Nallennai / Til ka tel
- 4 TBSP SEsame oil additional oil needed
- 100 grams Tamarind Imli / Puli – 100 gms
- 2 TBSP Bengal gram Channa dal / Kadalai paruppu
- 2 TBSP Split black gram Urad Dal / Ulutham paruppu
- 15 nos. Whole red chillies I used pandi variety mirchi – you could sub with Guntur variety
- 1 TBSP Mustard seeds
- 3 TBSP Peanuts
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 TBSP Asafoetida
- 2 TBSP Jaggery optional, but recommended
- 4 sprigs Curry leaves
- 2 tsp Salt adjust to taste
- 1 TBSP Sesame seeds black sesame seeds works better than white here
- 2 TBSP Desiccated Coconut Copra,optional, but recommended
For Spice powder: (Adjust spice according to taste)
- 3 TBSP Coriander seeds Malli
- 2 TBSP Bengal Gram channa Dal
- 1 TBSP Split black gram urad dal
- 2 TBSP Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds Vendhayam / Methi dana
- 2 sprig Curry leaves
- 5 Red chilli I used 2 kashmiri and 3 Guntur variety
Instructions
- Roast all spices for spice powder separately in 1 tsp of oil. Cool and grind. Divide spice powder into 2 parts : 2/3 and 1/3 portions respectively.
- Soak tamarind in hot water for 1/2 hour, extract the pulp
- Roast dry copra and sesame separately
- Heat the deep bottomed thick kadai (if you have a cast iron pan, it works best). When the oil is heated, add peanuts and fry well till golden brown. remove only the peanuts to a plate with a slotted spoon
- Now add mustard seeds, turmeric, hing, curry leaves, broken red chillies, Urad and Channa dal and fry till dals turn golden brown, Now add the tamarind pulp with the water too. Add salt, 2/3 of the ground spice powder and jaggery.
- Let it cook on medium flame for 10-12 mins till the water evaporates and it becomes a thick pulp, the oil will spurt quite a bit so place a lid halfway, and away from your face.
- Once the mixture thickens even further and coats the back of a spoon (alternatively, the oil starts leaving the sides and the mixture starts simmering in slow spurts), turn off and add the fried peanuts , roasted copra and sesame seeds and mix well
- Let it completely cool.
- Transfer to airtight sterile steel / glass container.
- If you feel the gravy has thickened too much, heat addition 1/4 cup sesame oil, cool COMPLETELY and add to the mixture before bottling.
- Keeps for upto 2-3 months under refrigeration.
- Apart from making Puliogorai, this is also a great side dish for Curd Rice.
- To make Kovil Puliyodharai / Puliyogarai, Cook rice into separate grains, Add requisite Pulikaachal paste, the remaining spice powder and mix well. Serve immediately.
I love this and the pulihodarai as well..good one..glad you finally made it..
Mouthwatering!! Good you finally nailed the recipe. I
So delicious. I am drooling here looking at the picture..
Will try out this version soon. My husband too is a fan of tamarind rice and I don't make it often. My own recipe keeps varying in taste because of the tamarind and chillies not being the same every time I use them.
I guess my husband would worship me if I nail this, ????
invite me over…i make this the hydu style ever since i shared a room with one my friends a decade ago, but ofcourse i had no baggage of benchmark at home, so for me making this much easier…but i can completely relate to the state of your mind when compared to some of dishes that are like family treasures
yum.. kattu saada koodilai la pulikaichal ellama onnume nadakadu. love this
Drooling Kalyani ! The whole recipe sounds so killing man ! Just loving it and trust me want to try this right away . Lovely tempting clicks .
Mouthwatering!! Love all the clicks:)
It took me a while to wrap my head around pulikachal too Kalyani. Our Andhra pulihora is very basic and simple — tamarind paste mixed with rice and the tempering — that's it. So this Tamil version looked so elaborate and time consuming — but it tasted sooo much different and delicious from what I was used to. It was fun reading your experience with the dish.
Just love it, pulikachal is a life saver and i make it quite often as this paste is quite handy.
Perfectly made. I make the pulihora paste in a similar fashion with little changes to the spice powder. But never tried in large quantities. Sounds like a good idea.
An absolutely new dish for me, I loved the way you have made it. Amazing pick for P!
My mother's recipe is almost similar to this except we don't add the kopra. Lip smacking dish and an absolute must in my refrigerator 🙂
Omg I am drooling over the pics.This is so good ,mouthwatering dish.
all those flavorings -must taste awesome!
Would like to know if this can be used to make puliyogare for traveling
yes, it most definitely can be used. It is similar to the puliogre gojju that we make in Karnataka, yet has some difference in the ingredient list
The name pulikachal itself makes me salivate! I can literally feel the aroma as i read through the post. Such a nostalgic dish, train journeys and holidays were flavored with this simple dish! Such a detailed post kalyani!
ah yes.. train journeys made more memorable with this pulikachal!
Pulikachal is a life saver and always handy. It’s a must have at home . So irresistible.
Absolutely preethi – a handy condiment for sure..
Lately, I’ve been on a spree to find new South Indian recipes beyond dosas and idlis, and I’m absolutely loving this venture! This step-by-step Pulikachal recipe is bound to become my favorite tamarind-based condiment to pair with plain rice.
Thanks.. please do try it sometime Neha
This bottle of Pulikachai has me salivating! I will make some today, as it will stop me from slaving over in the kitchen. Thanks a lot!
go for it… am sure you would love it!
When a recipe is perfected to suit the family taste buds it truly is a satisfying and rewarding experience. So glad that you didn’t give up but persevered. As a result we have a ready step by step recipe for a delicious sounding pulikachal.
absolutely Mayuri – this is a family favourite now!
I am still team Puliyogre and glad that Vj also likes the puliyogre than the puliyodharai .
I am always skeptical to try my hands on pulikaachal as there is a mind block..anna was neither pulio(gre)/dharai so at home it was always puliyogre gojju by amma for me and her to relish .
Now I will try to shed my inhibition and make some Pulikaachal and check out the reviews 😀
Great! do try it out.
Yes, making this paste needs a little bit of guidance and practice. I had once tried from a blog to make this Iyengar style puliyogare. Now, I can follow your recipe. BTW , I make the karnataka style regularly.
Thanks. do try this Jayashree
oof! Ka;yani, I am going to have a few days of happiness till this bottle of pulikachal lasts. It is so good.
happiness it is…