How to Cook Tamarind Rice

Serves: 3-4

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients needed to make Tamarind Rice:

• 4 cups basmati rice
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

For the masala powder:

• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Half a peanut size of asafoetida
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 dried red chillies
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 2-3 curry leaves
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds

For the paste:

• 1 heaping tsp tamarind concentrate diluted in 3-4 tbsp water or 2 large tamarind
• 1 lemon-sized ball of jaggery or raw cane sugar
• ½ cup water
• Prepared powdered spices
• Salt to taste

For the tempering:

• 4-5 fresh curry leaves
• 2 red chillies, dried
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• ¼ cup raw peanuts

For garnishing:

• Chopped fresh cilantro

Cooking instructions for Tamarind Rice:

• Add the rice in a stockpot full of water and stir in  a dash of turmeric powder.
• Cook the rice until they are cooked through; drain and set aside.
• Add all the ingredients, listed under masala powder, except the white sesame seeds, into a spice grinder and pulse the into a fine powder; set aside
• Add the white sesame seeds to a hot skillet and roast it, while stirring often, until they give out a nutty aroma.
• Transfer them to the spice grinder and pulse them to a fine powder; store them in a separate container.
• If you are using whole tamarind, pour hot water over it and squeeze out the pulp to make thick paste.
• Add the tamarind paste to a saucepan, along with ½ cup of water and give it a nice stir to mix.
• Heat it until it begins to boil and continue to do so until it thickens.
• Stir in the jaggery or raw cane sugar until it dissolves completely and stir in the ground spices.
• Season with a dash of salt and simmer the mixture, while stirring frequently, until it thickens considerably.
• Drizzle 2 tsp oil over it and stir well until properly blended into the paste.
• Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
• Add this cooked tamarind paste to the rice and toss them well together until the latter is coated properly with the blend.
• Sprinkle the ground sesame over the rice and stir it again to mix.
• Drizzle more oil in a wok to heat it over slow flame and throw in the peanuts as well as mustard seeds.
• Once the peanuts brown and the mustard seeds begins to splutter, stir in the curry leaves, followed by the red chillies.
• Add the tamarind-rice mixture to this blend of tempered spices and give it a nice stir.
• Cook the rice for a couple of minutes and spoon it into a serving bowl.
• Top it up with chopped cilantro and serve right away with spiced yogurt.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons