Kovil puliyodhara

Ingredients:

• Cooked Rice - 2 cups
• For the pulikaichal:
• Gingelly Oil (Nallenai) - 3 tbsp
• Peanuts - a fistful (Skin removed)
• Mustard Seeds - ½ tsp
• Channa Dal - 1 tbsp
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Dried Red chillies - 2
• Curry Leaves - few
• Powdered jaggery - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Hing (Perungayam) - a generous pinch
• Tamarind - lemon sized ball
• Salt - to taste
• For the powder:
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Channa Dal - 1 ½ tbsp
• Urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds - ½ tbsp
• Dried Red Chillies - 2
• Fenugreek Seeds(Venthyam) - ½ tsp
• Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Directions:

1. Heat oil and roast the ingredients 'for the powder' as above until golden brown.Allow it to cool and grind it to a fine powder. Keep aside.Then add 1/2 cup water to tamarind, let it soak for 15mins.Now squeeze out thick tamarind pulp and keep aside.
2. Heat gingelly oil in a kadai on medium low heat and add the peanuts. Roast until slightly browned. Now add mustard seeds,channa dal, urad dal,curry leaves, red chillies, turmeric powder and hing. Toast until they are browned evenly.Check and add salt.Now add the tamarind extract and allow it to boil for 10-15mins. Add jaggery and mix well.When oil begins to seperate and the mixture will become at one stage oozing out oil at the edges, at this stage switch off.
3. Take the cooked rice spread it in a wide bowl, drizzle a tsp of oil on top, add the pulikaichal mix well without mushing up the rice.Add salt if required. Now add the roasted powder and give a quick stir. Keep covered and allow it to rest atleast for 30mins before you serve.

"Now the Kovil puliyodhara is ready to serve"