Ingredients

• For the tamarind sauce (pulikachal)
• 2 tbsp - tamarind paste dissolved in about 4 cups water (if you're using tamarind pods, soak a large lemon-size ball in 4 cups of warm water and when the tamarind softens, in about 30 minutes, crush it with your fingers to extract all the juice and discard the solids)
• 3 - red chillies
• 1 tsp - fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp - channa dal (Bengal gram)
• 1 tbsp - urad dal (black gram)
• 1 tbsp - canola or other vegetable oil
• A generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp - mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
• To put together the puliyodarai:
• 1 cup - brown rice, cooked until tender in rice cooker as per the manufacturer's instructions or in an oven (you can leave out the cumin seeds if you use the oven)
• 3 tbsp - tamarind sauce
• 1 tsp - canola oil
• 1 tsp - mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp - peanuts
• 1 tbsp - cashew nuts
• 2-3 small sprigs of curry leaves

How to Make Brown Rice Puliyodarai

• Dry-roast the fenugreek seeds until they darken slightly to a reddish hue.
• In a tiny bit of oil, fry the red chillies. Remove and use a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
• In a spice grinder, powder the fenugreek and chillies along with about 1/2 tsp of salt. Set aside.
• Heat remaining oil and add the mustard, asafoetida, chillies, chana dal and urad dal. Fry for a minute.
• Once the peanuts start browning, add the tamarind sauce. Let the tamarind sauce reduce on a low flame until it has thickened to a consistency almost like that of molasses. Now add the chilli-fenugreek powder and stir well to mix. Check for salt and add more if needed. Take off heat.
• This sauce can be stored for weeks if kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
• Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds.
• When they crackle, add the curry leaves, cashew nuts and peanuts and fry until the peanuts turn lightly golden.
• Add the peanuts, mustard and curry leaves to the rice along with the tamarind sauce. Mix thoroughly. Add more tamarind sauce if you need.