This dish is inspired from my Amma’s Puli Pongal recipe. It is prepared from Arusi Kurunai (Broken Rice) and Tamarind Water. Very popular tamil brahmin tiffin recipe and can be prepared within 30 minutes. I followed the exact same recipe for making this millet dish however added a spice powder to give that exact puliodharai flavor. I used Foxtail Millet.
Ingredients :
Foxtail Millet – 1 cup
Tamarind water – 2.5 cups
Dried Red Chillies – 2
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp
Black Pepper – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – few
For Tempering :
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
Channa Dal – 1/2 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Hing – 1/2 tsp
Gingely Oil/Nalla ennai – 1tbsp
Preparation
1. Soak millet in water for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and remove any impurities.
2. Dry roast fenugreek seeds, black pepper and coriander seeds. Grind them to fine powder
3. Soak lemon sized tamarind in 2.5 cups of water and extract tamarind water
4. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dal
5. Let them splutter. Add curry leaves, salt and hing
6. Saute for a minute and add tamarind water
7. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes
8. Add this water and the freshly ground spice powder to the millets
9. Pressure cook millets for upto 4 whistles
10. Once the pressure is released, if you still see the tamarind water slightly floating on top of millets, then it needs to be cooked for 2 more whistles. Close the cooker and leave it for another 2 whistles
11. Now if you check, the millets would have absorbed the tamarind water completely
12. Mix it well and adjust salt
13. Instant Millet puliodharai is ready to be served
Notes:
– Tamarind water takes extra time to cook when compared to plain water. Hence we need to check once after 4 whistles.This will avoid over cooking of millets. Like I always though I give maximum information in my recipe it is always good to recheck based on your cooking circumstances and follow your instincts too.
– If you are using any other millet variety then you need to adjust tamarind water ratio based on your previous results
