Simple Andhra Pulihora sugessted by Sri Durga Golla and Spinach Masala Vada (Puratasi Perumal Padayal)

Puratasi masam Perumal padayal

Thalu is a offering/padayal for Lord Venkateshwara. The Purattasi month starts last week and it is a famous month for Lord Venkatesh and especially the Saturdays. So last Saturday, the first Saturday of the month of purattasi, we did pooja and in that Thalu is a Special one. Its lika a cocktail – a mixture of all fruits and rice variety…. It tastes heavenly and I simply love it from my childhood days. I havr already posted how to make all other varieties. . But in this post,am gonna let you know Pulihora as suggested by +Sridurga G and Spinach masala vada. .

Pulihora sugessted by Sri Durga Golla

Ingredients-

• 2 cups of rice (cooked and cooled to room temp)
• Lemon sized tamarind (soak in a cup of hot water and extract pulp)
• 5 Red Chilies
• 3 tbsp oil
• 5 Green chilies slit length wise
• 2 Curry leaf stalks
• Salt to Taste
• 2 pinches asafetida
• 1 pinch of Fenugreek powder
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seed
• 3 tbsp Groundnuts
• 2 tbsp cashews
• 1 tsp turmeric

Directions-

1. Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract the juice free of all the pulp and seeds.( we need to do this step couple times to make sure, all the juice in the tamarind is extracted).
2. Shift the tamarind juice to a cooking vessel, add 2 red chillies, 3 tbsp of oil, a stalk of curry leaves, a pinch of asoeftida, a pinch of turmeric, a pinch of fenugreek powder (optional),  little salt and put it to boil until the tamarind becomes a thick consistent paste,  all the water evaporates and it separates some oil. This can be stored in a refrigerator if you keep it in a moist-free and tightly closed container for a few days or nearly a month.
3. Cook rice separately and spread it out in a wide bowl/dish to cool.
4. Mix the rice evenly with one tbsp of oil, salt to taste and turmeric. Take care not to mash the rice grains. You can use a spoon here but I do not mind using my hand (world’s best tool) to mix thoroughly without having to mash the rice grains.
5. Mix the rice with the tamarind paste (from step 2) without having to mash the rice grains. Keep aside.
6. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and fry the groundnuts (peanuts), cashews drain them and add to the rice.
7. In a small pan, add 3 tbsp oil and add mustard seeds, when they start to crack, add cumin seeds, curry leaves any left over green chilies and asafetida.
8. Add this tempering to the rice and mix it gentle and thoroughly.
9. Best tasted when served after 4-6 hrs. The sourness of tamarind needs a bit of time to creep into the rice granules and delights the person to crave some more.

This can be a great lunch box item too.

TIP-

• Cook rice with little bit of channa dal (around 2 tbsp) it gives very good flavor to the whole dish.
• Green chilies boiled together with the tamarind pulp gives a very nice flavor. One can enjoy biting into these tamarind boiled chilies and enjoy their hot and sour taste.
• This dish taste excellent after 4 to 6 hrs as the sourness of tamarind needs a bit of time to creep into the rice granules and delights the person to crave some more.

Spinach Masala Vada

After a long day of cleaning, I made these “Masala Vadas” to go with our padayal.

These are deep fried crisp lentil dumplings made of Bengal Gram and are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Since they are made of lentils they are filling too.

Also don’t forget to take a look at this low fat version of Masala Vadas.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup Bengal gram/ chana daal
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 3-4 garlic pods
• 1 inch of ginger
• 4-5 green chillies
• 5-6 cloves
• Cinnamon pieces
• Cumin seeds
• Curry leaves
• Handful of cleaned coriander leaves
• Handful of fine sooji/rava
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

• Soak the chana daal in enough water for about 5-6 hours. 
• Grind together green chillies, cumin seeds, curry leaves, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves cloves and cinnamon. Make a coarse paste. Do not add any water. 
• Drain the water completely from soaked chana daal. Keep a handful of chana daal aside. 
• Take the remaining chana daal, add salt and grind it coarsely along with the garlic, ginger paste coarsely. Do not add any water. 
• Mix thoroughly and check for taste. Add the chopped onions, or seasonings if necessary. 
• Finally add the rava, whole chana daal just before deep frying and mix well.

Method:

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan sufficient enough to deep fry.
• Check to make sure that the oil has reached the correct temperature, by putting in small amount of batter. If there is a sound of a sizzle that means the oil is ready.
• Take about lemon size ball of the batter from the tips of your hands, turn it into a round or flat shapre and put it in the deep fryer. Add about 4-5 depending on the size of the pan at the same time.
• Remove from oil, when done and transfer them onto clean paper napkins. This will absorb some of the oil found on the outer side.
• Continue the above for the remaining batter as well.

This can be eaten as is or with ketchup, chutney and forms a wonderful accompaniment with tea or coffee.