Karuveppilai Puli Sadam or Curry Leaf Tamarind Rice is a delicious South Indian rice dish that is a meal in itself, packed with myriad flavours.
Fresh curry leaves are ground with roasted spices and blended with tamarind to create a chatpata paste, which is then mixed with cooked rice.
Prashasti Shandilya parts with her special recipe, giving it to Pratibha Kumari Singh.
When you don't have any sabzi or curry at home or have leftover cooked rice or are rushing for work, this is a quick, tasty solution.
Photograph: Neha for Rediff
Karuveppilai Puli Sadam
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup fresh curry leaves + extra for the tadka
- 1 small lime-sized ball imli or tamarind or 1 medium-sized lime
- 3 tbsp til or sesame oil or any cooking oil
- 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp urad dal or split white lentils
- 2 tbsp chana dal or split Bengal gram
- 3 dried red chillies
- 1-2 green chillies, slit
- ¼ tsp hing or asafoetida, optional
- ¼ tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp kali mirch or black peppercorns
- ¼ tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
- Salt to taste, about ½ tsb
- 2 tbsp roasted moongfali or peanuts
Method
- Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10-15 minutes.
Extract the pulp, strain and keep aside. - Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan or a kadhai over medium heat.
Add 1 tsbp chana dal, 1 tbsp of the urad dal, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, 1-2 of the dried red chillies, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves.
Roast over a low heat until fragrant and the curry leaves turn crisp.
Take off the heat, cool and grind to a fine powder.
Keep aside. - Heat the remaining sesame oil in the same kadhai or pan.
Add the mustard seeds and let splutter.
Add the peanuts and roast until lightly golden.
Add the remaining urad dal, channa dal and dried red chillies.
Fry until the dals turn golden brown.
Add the chopped green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida.
Stir briefly.
Pour in the tamarind pulp and season with the salt.
Cook over a medium heat until the mixture thickens and the raw smell of the tamarind disappears.
Add the ground spice powder.
Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the cooked rice and gently mix until the rice is evenly coated with the curry leaf-tamarind mixture.
Serve warm, or allow the rice to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving to allow the flavours infuse.
