Ingredients

• 2-2.5 cups - thick tamarind juice (extracted from a small ball sized tamarind)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp - turmeric powder
• 1 tsp - Asafoetida powder
• 15 - Dry Red Chillies (add or reduce according to taste of chilli and your own palate)
• 3 tbsp - Chana dal
• 4 tsp - Urad dal
• Some curry leaves
• 3 tbsp - Peanuts (can add more if you like plenty of peanuts in your rice)
• 1 tsp - Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 cup - Gingili Oil

How to Make Pulikaichal

• Roast 1 tbsp of channa dal, 4 tsps of urad dal and 8 dry red chillies without oil.
• Powder coarsely, add the asafoetida powder to it and keep aside.
• Soak the remaining channa dal and peanuts for about 10 minutes. Wash thoroughly, drain and keep aside.
• Heat pan (a deep one to boil the pulikaichal) with Gingili oil and add mustard seeds. Allow to splutter and add the rest of the red chillies (broken into small pieces) and the dal and peanuts. Saute until the oil stops spluttering (use medium heat).
• Add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder and salt. Allow it to thicken. When it is almost a pulp, add the powder of dal and chilli.
• Add washed curry leaves and mix well. The oil will separate from the mixture and the pulikaichal is ready. Store in a clean bottle when cool.