Ingredients

• For the tamarind paste (shelf life 1-2 months):
• 200g tamarind (seedless variety is preferable)
• 20-25 - dried red chillies
• 50g - Bengal gram (channa dal)
• 1 tsp - mustard seeds
• 1 cup - sesame oil (not the toasted variety)
• Salt to taste (using rock salt is traditional)
• For the powder:
• 5 tbsp - coriander seeds
• 2 tsp - fenugreek seeds
• 10-15 - dried red chillies (optional)
• Pinch of asafoetida
• For the rice (at the time of preparation):
• 1 cup - rice, cooked (make sure the strands are separate; leftover rice works great)
• 1 tsp - split black gram
• 1/4-1/2 cup - peanuts
• 1/4-1/2 cup - cashew
• A few sprigs of curry leaves
• 2-3 - dried red chillies (optional)
• 1-2 tsp - sesame oil
• Salt to taste

How to Make South Indian tamarind rice

• Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of hot water for around 30 minutes.
• Take this in a food processor and process it a few times until it becomes thick. Strain this mixture to discard any lumps.
• The result should be a thick paste. If it is too thick for the strainer, add a little more hot water, give it a whirl in your processor and strain again.
• The consistency should neither be too thick nor too watery.
• Meanwhile make the powder.
• Dry roast the coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds separately (or red chillies if you are using them).
• Grind them separately until they are ground fine.
• Mix them together and store them in a plastic container. They keep well and are handy while making the rice.
• To make the paste:
• Take a skillet and add the oil.
• Add the red chillies, then mustard seeds and then Bengal gram.
• Next add the tamarind water.
• Let it cook on a simmering flame.
• You know it's done when the raw smell of the tamarind is gone, the water reduces and thickens into a paste like consistency and the oil oozes out on the surface.
• You can, at this point, add 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds or the powder.
• This is to give it more aroma.
• Remove from heat, cool it well and store it in a glass container.
• It keeps very well for a long time and requires only a little bit (depending upon your taste) at a time to be mixed in the rice.
• The more solid the tamarind paste, less is the amount required to be mixed.
• To prepare the rice:
• In 1 tsp of oil, temper the lentils along with red chillies and curry leaves and then add the peanuts and cashew nuts (you can roast them separately too).
• Meanwhile cool the rice on a plate.
• Add 1 tsp of sesame oil and the required tamarind paste along with the tempered ingredients.
• Add the powder in pinches along with a little salt.
• Adjust the powder and salt according to your taste.
• Mix until well combined and serve.
• This dish would be devoid of its famous flavour if not for sesame oil.
• Recipe Courtesy: http://chefinyou.com/